Software Developers Average Salary in Alabama
$122,840 average · $122,840 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 15-1252What is this?
This page shows employer-reported wages for Software Developers in Alabama, drawn from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey — median and mean pay, the full percentile distribution, and the industries that employ this occupation locally. Employer type and specialty create most of the spread: product/SaaS companies pay above IT-in-nontech industries; ML, security, platform, and distributed-systems roles sit above generalist full-stack bands. Hub geography still anchors offers even with remote work — SF Bay, Seattle, NYC, and Austin bands remain structurally higher. Leveling (senior/staff/principal) matters more than years alone.
How much do Software Developers make in Alabama?
The average software developers salary in Alabama is $122,840 per year. That works out to about $59.06 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 17,450 software developers jobs in Alabama.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $122,840. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $122,840; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $122,840 — a 0% spread from bottom to top. Figures are employer-reported wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — not self-reported survey averages — so they are the right baseline for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
How Software Developers Careers Are Structured
Software developers design, build, and maintain applications and systems across product companies, IT departments, consultancies, and startups. OEWS wages exclude equity — at public tech firms and well-funded startups, stock can add a large share of total compensation on top of the cash figures on this page.
The wage tables and percentile chart on this page show how software developers pay is distributed in Alabama specifically — and because state-level wages for the same occupation routinely differ by 30% or more, the local figures here are the ones that matter for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
What Moves Pay in This Field
Employer type and specialty create most of the spread: product/SaaS companies pay above IT-in-nontech industries; ML, security, platform, and distributed-systems roles sit above generalist full-stack bands. Hub geography still anchors offers even with remote work — SF Bay, Seattle, NYC, and Austin bands remain structurally higher. Leveling (senior/staff/principal) matters more than years alone.
Degree requirements are softer than in most professional fields: strong portfolios, open-source work, and coding interviews substitute for credentials. Bootcamps and career-changers remain viable but face a higher bar in soft markets. Treat the 75th percentile on this page as a realistic mid-career target in strong product markets rather than the median.
New to reading wage distributions? Our guide to salary percentiles explains how to place yourself on the chart above, and the negotiation playbook shows how to use these numbers in an actual conversation.
Critical Worker ShortageBright Outlook
Software Developers is experiencing a critical labor shortage. Employers are actively competing for qualified candidates.
What Do Software Developers Do?
Software Developers positions belong to the software developers field. Software developers design, build, and maintain applications and systems across product companies, IT departments, consultancies, and startups. OEWS wages exclude equity — at public tech firms and well-funded startups, stock can add a large share of total compensation on top of the cash figures on this page.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 15-1252
Software Developers pay in Alabama
In Alabama, software developers report a median of $122,840 (about $59.06/hour) across roughly 17,450 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $122,840 at the 10th percentile to $122,840 at the 90th.
Compared with the national distribution, local industry mix and cost of living are the main reasons Alabama wages for this occupation sit where they do — toggle Regional Price Parity on this page to see purchasing-power-adjusted pay.
What your paycheck is really worth in Alabama
Prices in Alabama run 11% below the national average (RPP 88.8). So a nominal salary of $122,840 has the buying power of about $138,298 in national terms.
Alabama vs. United States for Software Developers
The median software developers salary in Alabama is $122,840, which is -17.1% below the national median of $148,100 (mean pay is -16.8% below the U.S. mean of $147,665). Among 50 states and D.C. with OEWS data, Alabama ranks #34 by median wage for this occupation. Alabama accounts for about 0.2% of U.S. software developers employment in the latest OEWS release.
See every state ranked for this occupation on the best-paying states page, or compare purchasing power on real wages.
Income reality check
The median salary for Software Developers in Alabama of $122,840 falls in the Upper-middle class band of this framework - roughly ~13% of the U.S. population and ~4% of the global population sit in this band.
Illustrative relative standing for education only - this ladder is a simplified framework, not an official Census, BLS, or World Bank statistical series. Salary figures on Wage Atlas come from official BLS OEWS data.
Salary Overview
Salary Distribution & Your Position
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AI Replacement Risk Analysis
Forward-looking analysis of automation and AI impact
- Knowledge-based work - moderate automation risk
- AI augmentation likely, full replacement less likely
Includes risk scoring, timeline estimates, adaptation strategies, and more
Occupation Report Card
Job Outlook 2023-2033
Official BLS Employment Projections for Software Developers
Skills & What You Do
Most occupations require a bachelor's degree; some require advanced degrees
- Design, build, and maintain software applications
- Analyze user needs and software requirements
- Test and debug programs
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams
Top Industries for Software Developers
| $161,980 | $165,321 | $78 | 701,960 | |
| $156,760 | $135,680 | $75 | 206,900 | |
| $145,230 | $135,460 | $70 | 167,990 | |
| $142,768 | $132,605 | $69 | 1,912,250 |
Related Occupations
SOC: 11-9111 • 81% match | $142,093 | $140,970 | $68 | 3,540,930 |
SOC: 15-2011 • 76% match | $141,366 | $142,180 | $68 | 147,250 |
SOC: 11-1021 • 82% match | $134,649 | $134,530 | $65 | 18,506,210 |
SOC: 41-9031 • 76% match | $130,474 | $130,140 | $63 | 258,290 |
| Find Occupation 41 9031 Jobs | ||||
SOC: 11-9021 • 76% match | $124,200 | $124,360 | $60 | 2,014,570 |
SOC: 13-2011 • 77% match | $94,419 | $95,250 | $45 | 7,668,610 |
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Software Developers in Other States
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Explore More Data for Software Developers
Career Advancement Strategy
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Advanced Certifications
$122,840 → $165,834
Open Source Contributions
$122,840 → $153,550
Skills to Develop
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Viewing: Software Developers (SOC: 15-1252)