Software Developers in Pennsylvania
Considering working as a Software Developers in Pennsylvania? Here’s what you need to know. Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
What do Software Developers Make in Pennsylvania?
The software developers working in Pennsylvania, the median annual wage is $123,740 per year (or roughly $59.49/hour).Annual wages span from $73,730 at the 10th percentile to $167,290 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $73,730 | $35.45 |
| 25th percentile | $94,490 | $45.43 |
| Median (50th) | $123,740 | $59.49 |
| 75th percentile | $147,060 | $70.70 |
| 90th percentile | $167,290 | $80.43 |
The job concentration index in Pennsylvania relative to the national average — is 0.73, indicating fewer software developers per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, software developers earn a median of $76,447 per year ($36.75/hour), exceeding the Pennsylvania median.
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 127,793 software developers in the U.S.. In Pennsylvania alone, approximately 47,350 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 15,850 software developers.
Top Pennsylvania Metros for Software Developers
These are the Pennsylvania metros with the most software developers in Pennsylvania.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 26,150 | $130,670 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 8,820 | $122,350 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 2,120 | $106,690 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 1,360 | $112,340 |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | 700 | $110,860 |
| Lancaster, PA | 660 | $103,530 |
| Reading, PA | 490 | $116,990 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 480 | $103,310 |
| State College, PA | 370 | $103,380 |
| Erie, PA | 360 | $98,480 |
| Altoona, PA | 150 | $97,120 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 150 | $111,900 |
| Johnstown, PA | 110 | $97,160 |
| Williamsport, PA | 60 | $91,310 |
| Lebanon, PA | 50 | $106,940 |
| Gettysburg, PA | 30 | $105,450 |
Top States for Software Developers Employment
These states have the highest employment of software developers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 292,630 |
| Texas | 151,460 |
| New York | 104,130 |
| Washington | 91,470 |
| Virginia | 83,290 |
| Florida | 82,610 |
| North Carolina | 57,590 |
| New Jersey | 57,120 |
| Illinois | 54,490 |
| Massachusetts | 54,260 |
| Colorado | 48,980 |
| Pennsylvania | 47,350 |
| Georgia | 47,350 |
| Ohio | 44,280 |
| Michigan | 41,490 |
| Minnesota | 39,580 |
| Arizona | 35,650 |
| Maryland | 31,940 |
| Utah | 29,160 |
| Wisconsin | 22,170 |
Highest-Paying States for Software Developers
Where software developers earn the most: software developers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $170,910 |
| Washington | $166,910 |
| Virgin Islands | $162,820 |
| New York | $161,260 |
| Massachusetts | $150,520 |
| Maryland | $137,890 |
| District of Columbia | $136,040 |
| Oregon | $135,260 |
| Delaware | $135,160 |
| Colorado | $134,540 |
Skills
The most important software developers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
The abilities that matter most for software developers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks include:
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
- Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
- Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
- Design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design.
- Determine system performance standards.
- Consult with customers or other departments on project status, proposals, or technical issues, such as software system design or maintenance.
- Confer with data processing or project managers to obtain information on limitations or capabilities for data processing projects.
- Monitor functioning of equipment to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
Work Activities
- Working with Computers
- Processing Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Thinking Creatively
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Getting Information
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Developing Objectives and Strategies
Tools & Technology
Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, AJAX, Alteryx software, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2, Amazon Redshift, Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, Apache Airflow, Apache Cassandra, Apache Hadoop, Apache Hive, Apache Kafka In-demand technologies: Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Kafka, Atlassian JIRA, C, C#
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Several college majors map to this occupation:
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services — 12 programs across 6 majors
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Related Careers
Careers similar to software developers include:
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Project Management Specialists
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Computer Network Architects
- Database Administrators
- Database Architects
Also Known As
AI Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Specialist), Application Analyst, Application Architect, Application Developer, Application Engineer, Application Integration Engineer, Application Integrator, Application Programmer, Application Software Engineering IT Specialist (Application Software Engineering Information Technology Specialist), Application Support Engineer, Application Systems Analyst, Application Systems Architect, Beta Tester, Business Application Developer, Certified Internetwork Expert.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 15-1252.00
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