San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a software developer make in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, software developers earned a median of $213,110 a year ($102.46 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 87,350 of these jobs there. That is 154% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $138,420 and $289,150; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $143,008 in take-home pay.

Software developer pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance

Median salary

$213,110$102.46 per hour · $17,759 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$138,420$66.55/hr
25th percentile$173,650$83.49/hr
75th percentile$226,080$108.69/hr
90th percentile$289,150$139.02/hr
Jobs in this metro87,350Location quotient 7.09 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here154% aboveAll-jobs median $84,050
Against California22% aboveStatewide median $174,410
Against the U.S.57% aboveNational median $135,980

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Software developer salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes

$213,110
$85,000$430,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$213,110
Net 67%
Fed 19%
CA 7%
FICA 7%
Annual take-home$143,008After all taxes
Monthly deposit$11,917Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$5,500Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate32.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$39,880 / yr
California state income tax$15,574 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$14,647 / yr

Software developers pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What software developers earned in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$66.55/hr$11,535$138,420$97,248
25th percentile$83.49/hr$14,471$173,650$118,051
MedianMedian$102.46/hr$17,759$213,110$143,008
75th percentile$108.69/hr$18,840$226,080$150,698
90th percentile$139.02/hr$24,096$289,150$185,643

Is $213,110 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for software developers next to both.

Median household income$162,111Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.410.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household131.5%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Software developer pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for software developers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for software developers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $213,110 in May 2025, about $17,759 a month or $102.46 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $174,410, so the metro pays 22% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for software developers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The median hourly wage for software developers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $102.46 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $66.55 an hour and one in ten earned more than $139.02.

How many software developers work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS estimated 87,350 jobs for software developers in the metro in May 2025, or 77.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 7.09 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for software developers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for software developers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $138,420 at the 10th percentile to $173,650 at the 25th, $226,080 at the 75th, and $289,150 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do software developers take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $213,110, an estimated $143,008 lands in net take-home pay per year ($5,500 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $70,102 (an effective rate of 32.9%).

How much do software developers make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $213,110, gross monthly income is $17,759. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $11,917 per month (or $5,500 every two weeks).

Is $213,110 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

At $213,110, the median salary for software developers is 131.5% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 154% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.