Software Developers Average Salary in Maryland
$151,560 average · $151,560 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 15-1252What is this?
This page shows employer-reported wages for Software Developers in Maryland, 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 Maryland?
The average software developers salary in Maryland is $151,560 per year. That works out to about $72.87 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 31,350 software developers jobs in Maryland.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $151,560. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $151,560; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $151,560 — 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 Maryland 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 Maryland
In Maryland, software developers report a median of $151,560 (about $72.87/hour) across roughly 31,350 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $151,560 at the 10th percentile to $151,560 at the 90th.
Compared with the national distribution, local industry mix and cost of living are the main reasons Maryland 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 Maryland
Prices in Maryland run 5% above the national average (RPP 105.0). So a nominal salary of $151,560 has the buying power of about $144,399 in national terms.
Maryland vs. United States for Software Developers
The median software developers salary in Maryland is $151,560, which is +2.3% above the national median of $148,100 (mean pay is +2.6% above the U.S. mean of $147,665). Among 50 states and D.C. with OEWS data, Maryland ranks #5 by median wage for this occupation (top tier). Maryland accounts for about 0.4% 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 Maryland of $151,560 falls in the Rich band of this framework - roughly ~18% of the U.S. population and ~2.5% 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: 11-3031 • 83% match | $185,663 | $188,160 | $89 | 4,466,320 |
SOC: 23-1011 • 79% match | $184,127 | $191,320 | $89 | 3,976,160 |
SOC: 11-9111 • 83% match | $142,093 | $140,970 | $68 | 3,540,930 |
SOC: 13-1111 • 79% match | $112,617 | $113,790 | $54 | 4,824,600 |
| Find Occupation 13 1111 Jobs | ||||
SOC: 13-1082 • 87% match | $110,450 | $110,740 | $53 | 5,713,120 |
SOC: 13-2011 • 80% match | $94,419 | $95,250 | $45 | 7,668,610 |
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Software Developers in Other States
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Career Advancement Strategy
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$151,560 → $204,606
Open Source Contributions
$151,560 → $189,450
Skills to Develop
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Viewing: Software Developers (SOC: 15-1252)