SOC 15-1252 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Software Developers — Columbia
Columbia, MO · 6 metro areas compared
The median wage for Software Developers in Columbia, MO is $101,020 per year, substantially below the national median of $135,980 — a gap of 25.7%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +15.8%
- Openings per year
- 115,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Columbia, MO.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Software Developers in Columbia, MO is $101,020 per year, substantially below the national median of $135,980 — a gap of 25.7%. Half of workers earn between $83,170 and $127,640. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $72,850 and the ninetieth at $155,760.
The area has 530 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 4.9 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, St. Louis records the highest median at $129,030. Of the 336 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 31st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $72,850 | −46.4% |
| 25th | $83,170 | −38.8% |
| Median (50th) | $101,020 | −25.7% |
| 75th | $127,640 | −6.1% |
| 90th | $155,760 | +14.5% |
| Mean | $110,170 | −19.0% |
Other metro areas in Missouri
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis | $129,030 | 9,820 | |
| 2 | Kansas City | $124,990 | 12,160 | |
| 3 | Joplin | $105,960 | 120 | |
| 4 | Springfield | $102,350 | 690 | |
| 5 | Cape Girardeau | $100,220 | 90 | |
| 6 | St. Joseph | $98,570 | 90 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Columbia run 10.6% below the national average, so the median of $101,020 goes as far as $112,998 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 16.9% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$101,020as reported by BLSLocal price level
89.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$112,998US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $101,020 a year, 25.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $72,850 to $155,760 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 530 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is St. Louis, at $129,030.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Software Developers in Columbia, MO?
The median annual wage is $101,020, or $48.57 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $135,980, so pay in Columbia, MO is 25.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Columbia, MO earns more than $155,760 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $72,850 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in St. Louis, at $129,030 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 530 jobs in this occupation in Columbia, MO. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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