Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2004

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)
439,720 1.6 % $37.78 $78,570 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $22.76 $28.95 $36.69 $44.98 $55.14
Annual Wage (2) $47,340 $60,220 $76,310 $93,560 $114,690

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 136,490 $37.76 $78,540
Software publishers 38,900 $39.83 $82,840
Management of companies and enterprises 20,070 $35.69 $74,230
Management and technical consulting services 15,050 $39.52 $82,190
Insurance carriers 14,340 $34.27 $71,270

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Computer and peripheral equipment mfg. 12,110 $45.76 $95,180
Securities and commodity exchanges 130 $44.54 $92,640
Commercial machinery repair and maintenance 40 $43.74 $90,980
Securities and commodity contracts brokerage 8,420 $43.16 $89,780
Professional and similar organizations 750 $42.56 $88,530

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 28,650 $37.85 $78,730 0.820%
Washington 18,550 $39.77 $82,720 0.709%
Colorado 15,030 $39.93 $83,060 0.705%
Massachusetts 21,620 $42.71 $88,830 0.691%
Minnesota 15,850 $36.67 $76,280 0.604%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Massachusetts 21,620 $42.71 $88,830 0.691%
California 81,450 $42.15 $87,670 0.558%
New Jersey 15,770 $41.16 $85,610 0.404%
Colorado 15,030 $39.93 $83,060 0.705%
Washington 18,550 $39.77 $82,720 0.709%

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 18,770 $48.21 $100,270 2.202%
Lowell, MA-NH PMSA 1,760 $42.59 $88,580 1.439%
Nashua, NH PMSA 1,400 $38.87 $80,860 1.402%
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA PMSA 17,120 $40.20 $83,610 1.306%
Boulder-Longmont, CO PMSA 1,990 $40.23 $83,670 1.292%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
York, PA MSA 150 $55.64 $115,740 0.088%
San Jose, CA PMSA 18,770 $48.21 $100,270 2.202%
Jersey City, NJ PMSA 2,160 $47.38 $98,550 0.904%
Fitchburg-Leominster, MA PMSA 50 $46.83 $97,410 0.100%
San Francisco, CA PMSA 10,420 $46.30 $96,310 1.095%

About November 2004 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.

All Computer and Mathematical Occupations

November 2004 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2004 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2004 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2004 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: November 9, 2005