Computer Programmers
SOC 15-1251 · 2024-2034
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -3.8%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $120,028per year
- Projected openings
- 6,210
- Projected change
- -3.8%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Programming
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $163,578 | 830 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $137,190 | 1,060 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $128,834 | 980 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $123,883 | 840 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $119,375 | 60 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $111,603 | 30 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $111,274 | 40 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $109,097 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $108,811 | 1,840 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $107,884 | 340 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $105,806 | 830 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | $100,242 | 10 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $100,242 | 30 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | $98,527 | 10 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $96,627 | 20 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $96,544 | 20 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $94,079 | 20 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $93,319 | 20 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $88,615 | 40 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $85,749 | 20 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $85,009 | 210 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $84,927 | 60 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $72,796 | 120 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $179,292 | 207,260 | +18.4% |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $139,920 | 23,940 | +13.9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $138,203 | 59,320 | +11.1% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $131,295 | 41,500 | +9.7% |
| Database Administrators | $116,225 | 3,800 | +1.4% |
| Database Architects | $174,923 | 3,880 | +9.5% |
Leads to — 55
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