Software Developers in Virginia. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
Virginia's median wage for Software Developers came in at $134,470 in 2024, about 3% below the national median of $138,520. That gap is smaller than it looks once you factor in cost of living. Virginia's overall price index sits at 102.3, close to the national baseline of 100, so the nominal difference translates to a real difference of roughly the same size. The state is neither a bargain nor a premium market on an adjusted basis.
The spread between earners is wide. At the 10th percentile, Software Developers in Virginia earned $82,560. At the 90th, they earned $208,480. Top earners made about 2.5 times what those at the bottom did. That kind of range usually reflects differences in experience, specialization, and the type of employer, from a small consulting shop to a large federal contractor. Virginia has a heavy concentration of the latter, particularly in the Northern Virginia corridor, which likely pulls both the average and the upper end of the distribution higher. The mean annual wage of $142,230 coming in above the median points in the same direction: a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
BLS projects employment for Software Developers nationally to grow 15.8% between 2024 and 2034, a rate it classifies as much faster than average. Virginia's 83,290 employed Software Developers in 2024 make it one of the larger state-level markets in the country by headcount.
For anyone benchmarking a Virginia offer against the national number, the 3% nominal gap is the starting point. The real comparison depends on which part of the state, which sub-specialty, and where in the pay range the role falls.
Salary distribution
Where Virginia software developers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $106,600 and $171,090, with a median of $136,460.
Software Developers in Virginia: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 2,000 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $130,950. 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 | 269 | $101,421 |
| Level II — qualified | 945 | $126,090 |
| Level III — experienced | 339 | $151,200 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 279 | $178,400 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Software Developers in Virginia. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Software Development Engineer II | 109 | $143,700 |
| Capital One Services, LLC | Senior Manager, Software Engineering | 107 | $178,400 |
| Amazon Web Services, Inc. | Solutions Architect III | 78 | $144,200 |
| Amazon Development Center U.S., Inc. | Software Dev Engineer II | 43 | $152,100 |
| Elevance Health, Inc. | Engineer Senior | 36 | $136,810 |
| Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation | Agile Development Senior | 32 | $129,260 |
| Government Employee Insurance Company (GEICO) | Senior Engineer - .NET | 29 | $182,178 |
| People Tech Group, Inc | IT Consultant(Software Developer) | 27 | $126,090 |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | Manager | 25 | $142,600 |
| Navy Federal Credit Union | Principal Platform Engineer | 24 | $178,462 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Lead II - Software Engineering at UST Global Inc$107,411RichmondWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-729042
- Solutions Architect III at Amazon Web Services, Inc.$175,427HerndonWage Level IVDecided —I-200-26084-728468
- Principal Application Developer at American College of Radiology$155,015RestonWage Level IIIDecided —I-200-26084-727680
- Sr. Java Full Stack Developer at ADITI LLC$126,200AshburnWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-728147
- Software Engineer at Nanosoft Technologies, Inc.$102,000SterlingWage Level IDecided —I-200-26085-730777
- Software Development Engineer II at Amazon.com Services LLC$159,900ArlingtonWage Level IIDecided —I-200-26084-728037
- Enterprise Act Engineer III at Amazon Web Services, Inc.$122,135HerndonDecided —I-200-26084-728584
- Engineer Senior Systems Software at NVIDIA Corporation$184,000HerndonWage Level IVDecided —I-200-26084-727824
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.
Where do you stand?
Get an instant percentile reading. Anonymous, no signup.
Aggregate unlocks once 5 readers have shared a salary for this role and state.
Software Developers pay by experience level in Virginia
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 Virginia
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 1,108 certified offers. The most common variant is Software Engineer at a median of $131,206.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | Capital One Services, LLC | 337 | $131,206 |
| Software Developer | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 285 | $126,090 |
| Software Development Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 103 | $143,700 |
| Software Dev Engineer | Amazon.com Services LLC | 76 | $152,100 |
| Senior Manager, Software Engineering | Capital One Services, LLC | 62 | $178,400 |
| Engineer Senior | Elevance Health, Inc. | 52 | $140,131 |
| Java Developer | Populus Group LLC | 44 | $126,090 |
| DevOps Engineer | COMPUNNEL SOFTWARE GROUP, INC | 43 | $126,100 |
| Data Engineer | Vak IT Systems Inc | 31 | $126,090 |
| IT Consultant(Software Developer) | People Tech Group, Inc | 29 | $126,090 |
| Solutions Architect | Amazon Web Services, Inc. | 25 | $153,600 |
| Full Stack Developer | Idexcel Inc | 21 | $126,090 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Software Developers in Virginia, by industry
Median offered wage across 1,997 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $126,090.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Amazon Web Services, Inc. | 1,338 | $126,090 |
| Finance and insurance | Capital One Services, LLC | 310 | $161,870 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 147 | $150,758 |
| Professional services | Deloitte Consulting LLP | 146 | $142,020 |
| Manufacturing | NVIDIA Corporation | 24 | $164,088 |
| Transportation and logistics | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | 10 | $131,353 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. | 6 | $150,758 |
| Healthcare | Evolent Health LLC | 6 | $143,129 |
| Education | Cambium Assessment, Inc. | 4 | $135,461 |
| Real estate | AvalonBay Communities, Inc. | 2 | $145,250 |
| Government and public sector | JSI RESEARCH & TRAINING INSTITUTE | 2 | $115,260 |
| Media and entertainment | WarnerMedia Services, LLC | 1 | $130,431 |
| Energy and utilities | AmeriGas Propane, Inc. | 1 | $134,963 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Virginia over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 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 Virginia
Metro-level salary data for software developers in major Virginia metropolitan areas.
- Richmond$132,120
- Virginia Beach$129,090
Compare Software Developers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare Virginia with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Software Developers in Virginia?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Software Developers in Virginia is $136,460.
- How does Virginia compare to the national median for Software Developers?
- The Virginia median is -4.5% versus the BLS national figure of $142,947.
- What is the salary range for Software Developers in Virginia?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $83,350 and the 90th-percentile at $211,930, 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.