Software Developers (SOC 15-1252.00)
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An automated macro-level review of the Software Developers career sector.Strong Salary
The expected pay for this position is $143,417. This gives professionals a 8.7% boost over the lowest legal wage.
In-House vs. Offsite
Within this field, 77.5% of approved visas are for internal roles at the main company, and 22.5% involve working at a third-party location.
Job Creation Data
The market is split between growth and talent acquisition. Data indicates 35.8% brand-new positions compared to 64.2% employee transfers.
Most Popular City
For professionals in this field, Seattle offers the most opportunities. Working in this city brings an expected salary of $166,904.
Permanent Career Path
If you want to stay in the US long-term, this is a strong career choice. Employers apply for Green Cards for 15.1% of their international workers in this role.
Role & Industry Structure
Federal classifications for this position.Overall Rating: D
The job market for this role shows 28,081 official applications. Since this role is seeing slower market movement and lower overall visa volumes, the career achieves an H1B Index rating of D.
Career Multiplier Growth
Workers in this occupation see their pay multiply by 1.8x as they transition from entry-level roles into fully competent, highly experienced positions.
Median Wage Trajectory
O*NET Experience Distribution
Volume of filings broken down by required experience levels.National Wage Distribution
Percentile breaks and experience-based volume.| O*NET Wage Level | LCA Volume | Median Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 2,239 | $101,546 |
| Level II (Qualified) | 10,802 | $120,000 |
| Level III (Experienced) | 5,884 | $154,606 |
| Level IV (Fully Competent) | 5,120 | $178,800 |
Top Geographic Markets (States)
The primary states driving visa volume for this SOC code.Top Corporate Sponsors
The leading employers hiring under this classification.Top Specific Job Titles
Specific internal roles mapping to this SOC.Top Active Cities
Granular city-level demand mapping.Top Law Firms
Leading legal counsel securing these visas.Visa Volume & Success
LCA approvals, denials, and certification rates.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients hiring under Software Developers.Specific Job Titles Matrix
Every internal corporate role mapped to this federal SOC code.Complete Metros Matrix
Data ledger of all cities filing for this occupation.| City / Metro Area | LCA Count |
|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 1,235 |
| New York, NY | 1,006 |
| San Francisco, CA | 786 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 774 |
| Austin, TX | 737 |
| Redmond, WA | 730 |
| Plano, TX | 673 |
| Irving, TX | 651 |
| Charlotte, NC | 598 |
| Bellevue, WA | 534 |
| San Jose, CA | 489 |
| Santa Clara, CA | 460 |
| Atlanta, GA | 440 |
| Mountain View, CA | 415 |
| Dallas, TX | 390 |
| Westlake, TX | 370 |
| Chicago, IL | 363 |
| Cupertino, CA | 348 |
| Durham, NC | 323 |
| San Diego, CA | 308 |
| Alpharetta, GA | 305 |
| Houston, TX | 286 |
| Menlo Park, CA | 275 |
| Jersey City, NJ | 269 |
| Frisco, TX | 240 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 215 |
| Palo Alto, CA | 203 |
| Boston, MA | 202 |
| Tampa, FL | 193 |
| Columbus, OH | 182 |
| Cumming, GA | 152 |
| Bentonville, AR | 150 |
| Wilmington, DE | 136 |
| Mckinney, TX | 136 |
| Mclean, VA | 132 |
| Raleigh, NC | 119 |
| Richmond, VA | 116 |
| Whippany, NJ | 116 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 106 |
| Fort Worth, TX | 104 |
| Fremont, CA | 103 |
| Herndon, VA | 103 |
| Arlington, VA | 103 |
| San Antonio, TX | 103 |
| Richardson, TX | 103 |
| Leander, TX | 102 |
| Dearborn, MI | 101 |
| Irvine, CA | 101 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 99 |
| Celina, TX | 94 |
Complete States Matrix
Data ledger of all states filing for this occupation.| State Hub | LCA Count |
|---|---|
| California | 5,606 |
| Texas | 5,221 |
| Washington | 2,837 |
| North Carolina | 1,509 |
| New York | 1,279 |
| New Jersey | 1,268 |
| Georgia | 1,145 |
| Illinois | 993 |
| Virginia | 871 |
| Florida | 848 |
| Pennsylvania | 670 |
| Ohio | 612 |
| Michigan | 604 |
| Massachusetts | 596 |
| Arizona | 503 |
| Missouri | 309 |
| Maryland | 277 |
| Tennessee | 275 |
| Arkansas | 270 |
| Colorado | 259 |
| Minnesota | 257 |
| Delaware | 182 |
| Connecticut | 180 |
| Wisconsin | 153 |
| South Carolina | 150 |
| Indiana | 141 |
| Oregon | 128 |
| Utah | 116 |
| Rhode Island | 100 |
| Kansas | 99 |
| Kentucky | 99 |
| Iowa | 96 |
| New Hampshire | 82 |
| Nebraska | 70 |
| District of Columbia | 57 |
| Nevada | 43 |
| Oklahoma | 40 |
| Alabama | 37 |
| Louisiana | 21 |
| Idaho | 16 |
| Maine | 13 |
| Mississippi | 12 |
| New Mexico | 11 |
| Hawaii | 8 |
| South Dakota | 6 |
| West Virginia | 5 |
| North Dakota | 4 |
| Vermont | 3 |
Law Firms Matrix
Data ledger of all legal counsel used for this occupation.Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | Maximum | Median | Average | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $500,000 | $141,300 | $143,944 | $33 |
| 2025 | $750,000 | $134,971 | $137,162 | $22 |
| 2024 | $701,195 | $125,000 | $129,190 | $12 |
| 2023 | $520,000 | $119,953 | $123,314 | $15 |
| 2022 | $771,189 | $118,000 | $119,851 | $15 |
| 2021 | $792,925 | $111,540 | $113,353 | $18 |
| 2020 | $753,177 | $105,000 | $107,914 | $21 |
| 2019 | $725,000 | $96,595 | $100,937 | $16 |
| 2018 | $792,085 | $95,572 | $99,721 | $18 |
| 2017 | $800,000 | $95,000 | $97,070 | $10 |
| 2016 | $800,000 | $90,792 | $93,580 | $9 |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed.Occupation Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Software Developers.Where are the most Software Developers H-1B jobs located?
Based on DOL data, California sponsors the highest volume of work visas for this specific occupational code.
What are the chances of getting a Green Card as a Software Developers professional?
Yes, there is a clear pathway. Employers transition roughly 15.1% of their temporary Software Developers workforce into permanent legal residents.
What is the average base pay for the Software Developers category?
The standard compensation for this occupational code sits at a median of $143,417 nationwide.