What the numbers say
Maryland's median wage for Software Developers was $137,890 in 2024, a hair below the national median of $138,520. The gap is $630, which rounds to zero for any practical purpose. At this scale, Maryland and the national figure are effectively the same.
The spread between the lowest and highest earners is where the real story sits. The bottom tenth percentile earned $86,490. The top tenth earned $218,190. Top earners made about 2.5 times what bottom earners made. That kind of range shows up in occupations where job titles, certifications, and years of experience vary enormously from one hire to the next. A developer two years out of a bootcamp and a principal engineer at a federal contractor both fall under this SOC code.
Maryland's cost of living runs about 9% above the national average. Adjusting for that, the median wage translates to roughly $126,300 in national-baseline dollars. The nominal parity with the US median narrows once you factor in what the money actually buys. That is not unusual for a state anchored to the Washington DC metro area, where housing costs pull the index up.
BLS projects employment for Software Developers to grow 15.8% between 2024 and 2034, which it classifies as much faster than average. Maryland's concentration of federal agencies, defense contractors, and cybersecurity firms gives the state a specific kind of demand that differs from the private-sector tech hubs driving growth in Texas or California. Whether that translates to wages above today's levels depends on how that contracting work shifts over the next decade.
Salary distribution
Where Maryland software developers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $107,670 and $175,900, with a median of $137,890.
Software Developers in Maryland: 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: $125,000. 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 | 190 | $97,615 |
| Level II — qualified | 322 | $124,738 |
| Level III — experienced | 107 | $154,688 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 43 | $179,387 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Software Developers in Maryland. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government Employee Insurance Company (GEICO) | Senior Engineer - .NET | 51 | $170,560 |
| T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. | Senior Software Engineer | 23 | $123,000 |
| Hughes Network Systems LLC | Principal Engineer I - Software | 23 | $113,777 |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | Project Delivery Manager | 13 | $155,000 |
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. | Lead Developer | 12 | $173,763 |
| Inovalon, Inc. | Senior Software Development Engineer L4 | 11 | $131,000 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | Senior Software Architect | 10 | $172,200 |
| Leidos, Inc. | BI Tools Developer | 9 | $149,573 |
| MSR TECHNOLOGY GROUP LLC | Software Development Engineer in Test | 9 | $122,699 |
| KFORCE INC. | SENIOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER | 8 | $127,348 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Software Engineer at GDN Infotech, Inc.$126,090BaltimoreDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503375
- BI Developer at Indus River Technologies Inc$122,013ColumbiaDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-501329
- Enterprise Resource Planning Developer at Maryland Institute College of Art$135,000BaltimoreDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-501961
- BPM Developer at NEOSTRIDE LLC$126,090BethesdaDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-501032
- AI Engineer at KMM Technologies, Inc.$127,000RockvilleDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25354-499683
- Senior Engineer - Java at Government Employee Insurance Company (GEICO)$190,000Chevy ChaseDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-497130
- Software Engineer at RR Software Solutions LLC$122,013CockeysvilleDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498694
- Lead Engineer Software at OneMain General Services Corporation$133,395BaltimoreDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498166
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 Maryland
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 Maryland
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 548 certified offers. The most common variant is Software Engineer at a median of $122,847.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. | 212 | $122,847 |
| Software Developer | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 174 | $122,699 |
| Senior Engineer - .NET | Government Employee Insurance Company (GEICO) | 30 | $175,372 |
| Data Engineer | HiLabs, Inc | 21 | $128,300 |
| Full Stack Developer | Softrams, LLC | 21 | $124,738 |
| Application Developer | Intellizant LLC | 19 | $123,000 |
| Sr Engineer, Software Full Stack | T-Mobile USA, Inc. | 17 | $151,091 |
| Manager | Deloitte Consulting LLP | 12 | $179,768 |
| Java Developer | PIONEER CONSULTING SERVICES LLC | 12 | $122,013 |
| Lead Developer | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. | 11 | $165,019 |
| Software Development Engineer in Test | MSR TECHNOLOGY GROUP LLC | 10 | $122,507 |
| Principal Engineer I - Software | Hughes Network Systems LLC | 9 | $150,758 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Software Developers in Maryland, by industry
Median offered wage across 989 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $122,700.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | MSR TECHNOLOGY GROUP LLC | 638 | $122,700 |
| Professional services | Deloitte Consulting LLP | 112 | $140,145 |
| Finance and insurance | Government Employee Insurance Company (GEICO) | 108 | $152,000 |
| Manufacturing | Hughes Network Systems LLC | 52 | $126,986 |
| Education | University of Maryland Global Campus | 24 | $163,111 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. | 14 | $160,992 |
| Retail and wholesale | Rohde & Schwarz USA, Inc. | 12 | $155,000 |
| Healthcare | MedStar Health, Inc. | 10 | $147,998 |
| Government and public sector | Adtalem Global Education Inc. | 7 | $127,000 |
| Energy and utilities | Exelon Business Services Company LLC | 7 | $124,738 |
| Transportation and logistics | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | 4 | $135,452 |
| Real estate | Element Fleet Corporation | 1 | $124,285 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Maryland 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 Maryland metropolitan areas.
- Baltimore$137,350
Compare Software Developers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Software Developers in Maryland?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Software Developers in Maryland is $137,890.
- How does Maryland compare to the national median for Software Developers?
- The Maryland median is -0.5% versus the BLS national figure of $138,520.
- What is the salary range for Software Developers in Maryland?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $86,490 and the 90th-percentile at $218,190, 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.