The average salary for a computer programmer in California is around $116,760 per year.
Avg Salary
Computer programmers earn an average yearly salary of $116,760.
Wages typically start from $70,310 and go up to $172,300.
48% above national average Updated in 2025
Computer programmer earnings by seniority
Top-level computer programmer earnings begin at:
$82.84 per hour
$172,300 per year
Senior-level computer programmer earnings begin at:
$71.51 per hour
$148,740 per year
Mid-level computer programmer earnings begin at:
$56.13 per hour
$116,760 per year
Junior-level computer programmer earnings begin at:
$40.14 per hour
$83,490 per year
Starting level computer programmer earnings begin at:
$33.80 per hour
$70,310 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Computer programmer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $99,780 |
| South Carolina | $99,740 |
| Oregon | $99,540 |
| Texas | $99,330 |
| Georgia | $98,380 |
| Indiana | $97,000 |
| Rhode Island | $96,470 |
| Nebraska | $95,150 |
| Kentucky | $94,850 |
| Alabama | $93,800 |
| Nevada | $93,600 |
| Florida | $93,180 |
| Kansas | $92,960 |
| North Dakota | $92,280 |
| Alaska | $91,700 |
| Missouri | $90,420 |
| Montana | $89,920 |
| Vermont | $89,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,180 |
| Idaho | $89,020 |
| Arizona | $88,990 |
| Ohio | $85,270 |
| Mississippi | $85,120 |
| New Mexico | $83,750 |
| Wyoming | $81,640 |
| North Carolina | $81,070 |
| Iowa | $79,180 |
| Tennessee | $77,490 |
| Delaware | $77,260 |
| Wisconsin | $75,480 |
| New Hampshire | $74,000 |
| Illinois | $72,540 |
| Louisiana | $66,550 |
| Michigan | $65,860 |
| West Virginia | $65,320 |
| South Dakota | $58,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,190 |
| Connecticut | $133,820 |
| Massachusetts | $128,390 |
| Washington | $125,620 |
| Maryland | $125,570 |
| Virginia | $121,610 |
| Hawaii | $118,180 |
| California | $116,760 |
| Arkansas | $111,840 |
| Minnesota | $107,250 |
| District of Columbia | $106,150 |
| New Jersey | $104,940 |
| Utah | $104,890 |
| Colorado | $104,610 |
| New York | $103,980 |
| Maine | $101,780 |
How do computer programmer salaries compare to similar careers?
Computer programmers earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than computer systems analysts but more than operations research analysts.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Computer systems analyst salary | $128K |
| Informatics nurse specialist salary | $128K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $114K |
| Web developer salary | $120K |
| Database administrator salary | $113K |
| Computer programmer salary | $117K |
| Technical writer salary | $104K |
| Computer systems administrator salary | $106K |
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $100K |
| Operations research analyst salary | $102K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)