Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2003

15-1031 Computer Software Engineers, Applications

Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team. Exclude "Computer Hardware Engineers" (17-2061).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
410,580 1.9 % $36.66 $76,260 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $21.86 $27.68 $35.30 $43.67 $54.30
Annual Wage (2) $45,480 $57,570 $73,410 $90,830 $112,940

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Computer systems design and related services 132,700 $37.78 $78,580
Software publishers 38,500 $38.38 $79,840
Management of companies and enterprises 20,060 $33.71 $70,120
Electronic instrument manufacturing 13,120 $38.10 $79,260
Management and technical consulting services 12,190 $36.73 $76,390

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Offices of other health practitioners (7) $47.10 $97,970
Securities and commodity contracts brokerage 7,100 $44.57 $92,710
Employment services 4,330 $42.96 $89,360
Professional and similar organizations 700 $42.50 $88,400
Computer and peripheral equipment mfg. 9,890 $41.14 $85,570

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Virginia 25,070 $35.03 $72,850 0.735%
Colorado 13,480 $38.67 $80,430 0.643%
Massachusetts 18,540 $41.46 $86,230 0.592%
Washington 14,970 $37.64 $78,300 0.585%
California 81,620 $40.54 $84,320 0.564%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Delaware 980 $42.11 $87,590 0.243%
Massachusetts 18,540 $41.46 $86,230 0.592%
Nevada 1,030 $40.57 $84,380 0.095%
California 81,620 $40.54 $84,320 0.564%
New Jersey 16,430 $40.31 $83,850 0.424%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
San Jose, CA PMSA 16,570 $45.27 $94,170 1.939%
Boulder-Longmont, CO PMSA 1,870 $39.80 $82,780 1.220%
Portsmouth-Rochester, NH-ME PMSA 1,440 $37.85 $78,720 1.178%
Lowell, MA-NH PMSA 1,420 $41.90 $87,150 1.162%
Colorado Springs, CO MSA 2,620 (7) (7) 1.134%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Jersey City, NJ PMSA 1,760 $47.73 $99,280 0.741%
San Jose, CA PMSA 16,570 $45.27 $94,170 1.939%
Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA PMSA (7) $45.00 $93,610 (7)
Baltimore, MD PMSA 5,960 $44.25 $92,040 0.487%
Houston, TX PMSA 4,950 $44.17 $91,880 0.244%

About November 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) Estimates not released.

All Computer and Mathematical Science Occupations

November 2003 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 19, 2005