Software Developers salary in Los Angeles, CA
Median pay for software developers in Los Angeles, CA: $153,560/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $94,840 – $209,590 · about 58,450 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($111,055) by +$42,505 (+38%).
What it's really worth in Los Angeles
With Los Angeles's cost of living at 115 (US=100), that $153,560 has the buying power of about $133,823 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $89,105 · median home $968,608 · median rent $2,909/mo.
How Los Angeles ranks for this job
On raw pay, Los Angeles, CA is 5th of the 186 metros we hold software developers wages for. Once Los Angeles's cost of living is applied, it ranks 15th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Los Angeles sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Los Angeles
A median home in Los Angeles, CA costs $968,608 — about 6.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,909/mo works out at 23% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where software developers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Los Angeles.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Los Angeles | Rent vs Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $199,100 | +30% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $172,340 | +12% | 1.1× |
| Seattle, WA | $167,030 | +9% | 0.8× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $154,200 | +0% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Los Angeles | Rent vs Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $199,100 | +30% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $172,340 | +12% | 1.1× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $154,200 | +0% | 1.1× |
| San Diego, CA | $152,600 | −1% | 1× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires software developers around Los Angeles
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- SpaceX · Aerospace/Defense
Other jobs in Los Angeles
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.