Software Developer: Salary

The Labor Department reports that software developers made a median salary of $89,280 in 2011, a decent bump from the median $87,790 salary in 2010. The highest-paid 10 percent in the profession earned $136,490 in 2011, while the lowest-paid earned $54,980. Those with a strong stomach will be interested to know that the most highly compensated positions are in the animal slaughtering and processing industry, although few positions are available in this field. (The computer systems design industry and software publishers employ the highest number of software engineers.) The highest-paid positions can be found in El Centro, Calif., and the Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury areas of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

A software developer's average salary is higher than most other occupations on our list of the Best Technology Jobs. Developers make about $10,500 more than computer systems analysts, about $11,300 more than Web developers, and $16,650 more than computer programmers. However, software developers make $26,500 less than IT managers.

The highest paid in the software developer profession work in the metropolitan areas of El Centro, CA, Haverhill & N. Andover, MA, and Sioux City, IA. The San Jose, CA area also pays well, as does the city of Brockton, MA.