Programmer.
Philadelphia.
$108,000
median salary, 9% above the national average
$78,000 to $141,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Philadelphia is 9% more expensive than the national average. For Programmers, that shakes out to a median of $108,000, with the full range spanning $78,000 to $141,000. Programmer compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Programmer in Philadelphia, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $101,420 for Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 1,770 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$58,280
25th percentile
$80,660
Median
$101,420
75th percentile
$134,710
90th percentile
$172,450
Workers surveyed
1,770
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) rather than Programmer specifically. The Philadelphia range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1251Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $97,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$70,000
to $86,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$92,000
to $113,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$119,000
to $140,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$135,000
to $167,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$108,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $139,000
How Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$108,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$99,000
Philadelphia is $9,000 above
Programmer salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
The Programmer landscape in Philadelphia is not what most salary sites will tell you. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. Programmer compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 8% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Programmers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 65%+ variance across the compensation band.
Programmers progress from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with lead and management levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-functional scope. In Philadelphia, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Programmers runs roughly $95K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~8% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $108,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for Programmers in Philadelphia runs from $78,000 to $141,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An Occupational Therapist in Philadelphia earns $109,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Philadelphia is CTO at $314,000
Common questions.
Programmer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Philadelphia.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Programmer Salary in Philadelphia, PA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/programmer/philadelphia
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