Software Developers salary in Modesto, CA

Median pay for software developers in Modesto, CA: $121,650/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $80,430 – $166,400 · about 310 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($111,055) by +$10,595 (+10%).

What it's really worth in Modesto

With Modesto's cost of living at 105 (US=100), that $121,650 has the buying power of about $115,717 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $74,872 · median home $468,302 · median rent $2,052/mo.

Full Modesto cost of living & taxes →

How Modesto ranks for this job

On raw pay, Modesto, CA is 62nd of the 186 metros we hold software developers wages for. Once Modesto's cost of living is applied, it ranks 101st.

The headline number flatters Modesto. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, software developers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Modesto

A median home in Modesto, CA costs $468,302 — about 3.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,052/mo works out at 20% 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 Modesto.

Metro	Median pay	vs Modesto	Rent vs Modesto
San Jose, CA	$199,100	+64%	1.8×
San Francisco, CA	$172,340	+42%	1.6×
Seattle, WA	$167,030	+37%	1.1×
Santa Maria, CA	$154,200	+27%	1.6×

Same job elsewhere in CA

Metro	Median pay	vs Modesto	Rent vs Modesto
San Jose, CA	$199,100	+64%	1.8×
San Francisco, CA	$172,340	+42%	1.6×
Santa Maria, CA	$154,200	+27%	1.6×
Los Angeles, CA	$153,560	+26%	1.4×

Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

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