What the numbers say
The median Software Developer in New York earned $161,260 in 2024, about 16% above the national median of $138,520. That is a real premium, though not quite as wide as California's gap over the national figure.
The spread between earners is significant. A developer at the 10th percentile took home $85,520, while one at the 90th earned $223,480. Top earners made roughly 2.6 times what those at the bottom of the range did. That kind of gap usually reflects differences in seniority, specialization, and the type of employer, ranging from early-career roles at smaller firms to senior positions at large financial institutions and tech companies concentrated in the New York metro.
New York's cost-of-living index sits at 116.4, meaning prices run about 16% above the national baseline. When we adjust the state median for what the money actually buys, the effective wage lands closer to $138,500 in national-baseline dollars. That essentially matches the US median. The headline premium is real in dollar terms; in purchasing-power terms, New York developers earn roughly what their peers do nationwide.
BLS projects employment for Software Developers to grow 15.8% between 2024 and 2034, a rate it categorizes as much faster than average. That projection is national, not state-specific, but New York's base of 104,130 employed developers gives it enough scale that even modest share retention produces substantial job growth in absolute numbers.
Salary distribution
Where New York software developers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $119,530 and $194,790, with a median of $161,260.
Software Developers in New York: 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: $165,080. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Software Developers in New York. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Software Engineer | 41 | $218,402 |
| Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | Software Developers - KBGFJG94047-11 | 37 | $182,670 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Software Development Engineer II | 34 | $153,125 |
| Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. | Director | 30 | $165,000 |
| Google LLC | Software Engineer | 29 | $226,000 |
| Amazon Web Services, Inc. | Solutions Architect II | 27 | $160,805 |
| Bloomberg L.P. | Senior Software Engineer | 18 | $160,805 |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | Manager | 15 | $176,000 |
| LINKEDIN CORPORATION | Software Engineer | 15 | $139,000 |
| Intuit Inc. | Software Engineer | 12 | $175,100 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER at INTRAEDGE, INC.$131,997NEW YORKDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25357-504603
- DEVOPS ENGINEER at ARTIFINT TECHNOLOGIES LLC$103,210NEW YORKDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503495
- Sr. Staff Software Engineer at LinkedIn Corporation$221,000New YorkDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503979
- Senior Software Engineer II at Metropolis Employee Services, LLC$230,000New YorkDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502086
- Oracle PL, SQL Developer at GPS IT Solutions LLC$132,000BrooklynDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25357-504479
- Developer at DAVIDSON KEMPNER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP$215,000New YorkDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-501092
- Forward Deployed Engineer at PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC.$165,000New YorkDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503706
- Engineer, Multi-Asset Arbitrage Technology at Balyasny Asset Management, L.P.$210,000New YorkDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503847
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 New York
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 New York
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 610 certified offers. The most common variant is Software Engineer at a median of $184,187.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | Meta Platforms, Inc | 315 | $184,187 |
| Software Developer | Avani Technology Solutions, Inc. | 70 | $130,998 |
| Vice President | Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. | 48 | $182,100 |
| Software Development Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 37 | $131,997 |
| Software Developers - KBGFJG94047-11 | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 34 | $180,322 |
| Director | Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. | 24 | $167,500 |
| Solutions Architect | Amazon Web Services, Inc. | 19 | $173,265 |
| Staff Engineer | Balyasny Asset Management, L.P. | 15 | $189,592 |
| Manager | Deloitte Consulting LLP | 14 | $189,592 |
| Staff Data Engineer | Tekcog Inc | 13 | $165,000 |
| Member of Technical Staff | Reflection AI, Inc. | 11 | $187,574 |
| Senior Consultant | Deloitte Consulting LLP | 10 | $156,403 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Software Developers in New York, by industry
Median offered wage across 997 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $160,805.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Meta Platforms, Inc | 517 | $160,805 |
| Finance and insurance | Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. | 242 | $188,000 |
| Professional services | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | 118 | $172,600 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 58 | $169,050 |
| Manufacturing | Apple Inc. | 34 | $160,805 |
| Healthcare | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | 10 | $174,300 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Open Avenues Foundation | 4 | $103,210 |
| Transportation and logistics | JetBlue Airways | 4 | $120,069 |
| Media and entertainment | MSG Entertainment Holdings, LLC | 4 | $175,500 |
| Education | NEW VISIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 3 | $137,500 |
| Real estate | FOL Management LLC | 2 | $229,690 |
| Government and public sector | NYCEDC (New York City Economic Development Corporation) | 1 | $160,805 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in New York 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.
Sponsored
Build the skills employers list for Software Developers
Online courses from licensed providers. We may earn a commission when you enroll. The commission does not influence our rankings or wage data.
Explore coursesTop metros in New York
Metro-level salary data for software developers in major New York metropolitan areas.
- New York City$161,970
- Buffalo$128,780
Compare Software Developers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Software Developers in New York?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Software Developers in New York is $161,260.
- How does New York compare to the national median for Software Developers?
- The New York median is +16.4% versus the BLS national figure of $138,520.
- What is the salary range for Software Developers in New York?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $85,520 and the 90th-percentile at $223,480, 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.