What the numbers say
Colorado's median Software Developer wage was $134,540 in 2024, about 3% below the national median of $138,520. That gap is smaller than it looks. Colorado's cost of living sits only marginally above the national baseline, so the nominal difference translates to near-parity in what the money actually buys.
The spread between earners is wide. The bottom tenth of Software Developers in the state earned around $93,070, while the top tenth reached $210,760. Top earners make roughly 2.3 times what entry-level peers take home. That range reflects how much role, seniority, and company type vary within a single occupation title.
The mean wage of $147,750 runs about $13,000 above the median. A smaller group of senior or specialized developers pulls the average up, which means the median is the more useful figure for most people comparing offers.
BLS projects employment for Software Developers to grow 15.8% between 2024 and 2034, a pace it classifies as much faster than average. Colorado had roughly 48,980 Software Developers employed in 2024, one of the larger state concentrations in the country.
Salary distribution
Where Colorado software developers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $107,780 and $168,120, with a median of $134,540.
Software Developers in Colorado: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 1,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $131,232. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 109 | $94,600 |
| Level II — qualified | 321 | $118,560 |
| Level III — experienced | 124 | $144,658 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 97 | $164,112 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Software Developers in Colorado. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Communications Inc. | Principal Engineer I | 54 | $125,699 |
| Charter Communications, Inc. | Principal Engineer I | 51 | $135,905 |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | Manager | 26 | $154,225 |
| Arrow Electronics, Inc. | Applications Engineer | 21 | $144,900 |
| DISH Wireless, LLC | Engineer II- Wireless | 21 | $117,021 |
| DISH Network LLC | Staff Engineer “ Software | 19 | $120,536 |
| Western Union, LLC | Senior Architect, Software Engineering | 18 | $160,588 |
| DISH NETWORK, LLC | Senior Engineer-Software | 16 | $129,990 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Software Development Engineer II | 15 | $159,800 |
| Oracle America, Inc. | Software Developer | 14 | $150,127 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Senior Developer (IT) at DaVita, Inc.$120,536DenverDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25356-500575
- Java Developer at QuinStreet, Inc.$137,906AuroraDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-497836
- Sr Architect, Software Engineering at Western Union, LLC$166,000DenverDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498065
- R&D Engineer Software at LSI Corporation$154,170Colorado SpringsDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-496635
- Software Engineer at Reddit, Inc.$250,000BoulderDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-499004
- Senior Engineer - Software at Dish Wireless LLC$120,536EnglewoodDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-499354
- Lead Software Developer - Full Stack at Level 3 Communications, LLC$138,000ParkerDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-497702
- Lead BI Developer at Johns Manville$142,314DenverDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-495231
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Software Developers pay by experience level in Colorado
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Software Developers specialties in Colorado
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 584 certified offers. The most common variant is Software Engineer at a median of $125,716.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | Charter Communications, Inc. | 231 | $125,716 |
| Software Developer | Oracle America, Inc. | 85 | $117,021 |
| Principal Engineer | Charter Communications, Inc. | 63 | $142,248 |
| Staff Engineer - Software | DISH Network LLC | 41 | $120,536 |
| Software Development Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 37 | $150,000 |
| DevOps Engineer | Charter Communications, Inc. | 28 | $120,536 |
| Manager | Charles Schwab & Company, Inc. | 25 | $172,182 |
| Systems Engineer | Charter Communications Inc. | 25 | $117,021 |
| Data Engineer | Niteosoft Inc | 16 | $120,768 |
| Senior Architect, Software Engineering | Western Union, LLC | 14 | $161,696 |
| Engineer II- Wireless | DISH Wireless, LLC | 10 | $116,699 |
| Applications Engineer | Arrow Electronics, Inc. | 9 | $138,840 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Software Developers in Colorado, by industry
Median offered wage across 993 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $120,620.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Charter Communications Inc. | 610 | $120,620 |
| Finance and insurance | Western Union, LLC | 109 | $141,751 |
| Professional services | Deloitte Consulting LLP | 100 | $139,966 |
| Manufacturing | Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. | 90 | $142,314 |
| Retail and wholesale | Arrow Electronics, Inc. | 63 | $150,000 |
| Healthcare | DaVita, Inc. | 11 | $137,000 |
| Education | WGU Corporation | 3 | $190,000 |
| Media and entertainment | DK Crown Holdings Inc. | 2 | $135,263 |
| Transportation and logistics | Blissway Inc. | 2 | $140,000 |
| Real estate | The Hertz Corporation | 2 | $141,200 |
| Energy and utilities | Denver Water | 1 | $139,443 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Colorado over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
Common tasks (O*NET)
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+15.8%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing much faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for software developers in major Colorado metropolitan areas.
- Denver$134,120
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Software Developers in Colorado?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Software Developers in Colorado is $134,540.
- How does Colorado compare to the national median for Software Developers?
- The Colorado median is -2.9% versus the BLS national figure of $138,520.
- What is the salary range for Software Developers in Colorado?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $93,070 and the 90th-percentile at $210,760, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Software Developers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 15.8% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Software Developers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.