Software Developers Salary in Baltimore, MD (2024)
Software Developers in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median of $137,350 per year ($66.04 per hour) based on 16,620 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +3.2% against the national median of $133,080 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where software developers actually sit across the pay range in Baltimore, MD, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41.44 | $86,200 | |
| 25th percentile | $50.60 | $105,250 | |
| Median | $66.04 | $137,350 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $87.97 | $182,980 | |
| 90th percentile | $104.38 | $217,120 | |
| Average (mean) | $72.77 | $151,370 |
How Baltimore, MD compares
The local median of $137,350 runs +3.2% above the US median of $133,080 for this occupation; it pays 139.5% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($57,340); within the metro it ranks 27th of 652 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD — this occupation | $137,350 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $133,080 | +3.2% |
| Baltimore, MD — all occupations | $57,340 | +139.5% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $174,910 | -21.5% |
The location quotient of 1.16 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 3.5%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 27th of 652 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Baltimore, MD
To put $137,350 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 27th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $226,570 | 3,420 |
| Podiatrists | $218,390 | 130 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $213,490 | — |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $209,340 | 420 |
| Pediatricians, General | $187,190 | 280 |
| Dentists, General | $186,530 | 1,090 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $181,320 | 200 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $173,130 | 7,380 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $163,970 | 2,390 |
| Physicists | $162,490 | 480 |
Where software developers earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $120,490 to $174,910. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $174,910 | 76,900 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $169,340 | 72,730 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $161,970 | 119,610 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $159,240 | 21,080 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $155,330 | 54,650 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $154,240 | 48,200 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $150,880 | 68,210 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $149,010 | 16,620 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $137,350 | 16,620 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $136,760 | 4,340 |
See the full national picture on the Software Developers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for software developers in Baltimore, MD?
The median annual wage is $137,350, or $66 per hour. That means half of the software developers working in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $151,370.
What do the highest and lowest paid software developers in Baltimore, MD earn?
The bottom 10% earn $86,200 or less, while the top 10% earn $217,120 or more — a spread of $130,920 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $105,250 and $182,980.
Is software developers pay in Baltimore, MD above the local average?
Yes, it is 139.5% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $57,340. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Baltimore, MD pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $137,350 the metro median is 3.2% higher than the US median of $133,080 for software developers. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $120,490 to $174,910.
How many software developers work in Baltimore, MD?
BLS counts about 16,620 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 12.40 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.16 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 5.5%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.