Programmer.
Seattle.
$118,000
median salary, 19% above the national average
$86,000 to $154,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Programmer in Seattle earns a median of $118,000 in 2026. That is 19% above the national average. The range runs from $86,000 to $154,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Programmer compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. 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 Seattle, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. BLS does not publish this occupation for this metro area, so the national published benchmark is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $100,390 for Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) across the United States, based on 92,230 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$57,710
25th percentile
$75,850
Median
$100,390
75th percentile
$130,680
90th percentile
$160,460
Workers surveyed
92,230
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$98,670
May 2025 release
$100,390
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
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 national 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 $106,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$77,000
to $94,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$100,000
to $124,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$130,000
to $153,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$148,000
to $183,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$118,000
Equity
$20,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $152,000
How Seattle compares.
Seattle, WA
$118,000
Cost of living: 24% above average
National Average
$99,000
Seattle is $19,000 above
Programmer salary by city.
Salary by role in Seattle.
What you should know.
Here is what the Programmer market actually looks like in Seattle. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. The presence of major tech headquarters drives some of the highest engineering salaries outside the Bay Area. Seattle's job market is particularly strong for cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and enterprise software roles. 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 Seattle, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 24% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: washington State has no personal income tax, which significantly boosts take home pay. However, state and local sales taxes are among the highest in the country at roughly 10.25%. When someone quotes you $118,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Remind employers that no state income tax makes your effective compensation higher. You can accept a slightly lower gross salary and still take home more than in California. The range for Programmers in Seattle runs from $86,000 to $154,000. 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?
- A Technical Writer in Seattle earns $116,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Seattle is CTO at $365,000
Common questions.
Programmer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Seattle.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Programmers in Seattle.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Programmer Salary in Seattle, WA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/programmer/seattle
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