Software Developers Salary — El Centro, California

The average Software Developers in El Centro, California earns $128,310 a year.

$128,310 / year, mean
↓ 14.7% below national average 12th percentile in California

El Centro is among the lowest-paying cities in California for this specific role. That's noticeably below the national average for software developers, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
70
Estimate confidence
RSE 3.9%
Cost of living 95 #101 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $379,330 #63 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $56,393 #178 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: El Centro ranks #101 for cost of living and #63 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $221,710 San Francisco $193,430 Seattle $174,920 Oxnard $174,020 New York $165,870 San Diego $163,300 Los Angeles $161,900 Santa Maria $158,220 San Luis Obispo $155,770 Napa $154,740 Portland $154,200 Santa Cruz $153,930 Baltimore $153,910 Bakersfield $153,610 Sacramento $152,930 Santa Rosa $152,280 Kiryas Joel $148,910 Stockton $147,640 Miami $144,730 Austin $143,630 Lexington Park $142,960 Vallejo $142,170 Chicago $141,640 Bremerton $141,130 Salinas $140,500 Longview $139,760 Riverside $139,570 Richmond $139,340 Dallas $138,810 Bend $138,150 Sarasota $138,020 Merced $137,840 Naples $137,710 Ithaca $136,090 Yuba City $136,090 Philadelphia $136,050 Grants Pass $135,760 Chico $135,490 Kennewick $135,150 Spokane $135,110 Punta Gorda $134,580 Palm Bay $133,920 Glens Falls $133,870 Tampa $133,630 Wildwood $133,500 Houston $133,130 Sebastian $133,080 Port St. Lucie $133,040 Wenatchee $132,950 Trenton $132,620 Orlando $132,350 Midland $132,250 Fresno $131,810 Salem $131,570 Medford $131,500 Charlottesville $131,360 Olympia $131,210 Sherman $131,130 Syracuse $130,980 Crestview $130,640 Jacksonville $130,520 Bellingham $130,430 San Antonio $130,080 Redding $129,870 Peoria $129,350 Virginia Beach $129,340 Vineland $129,240 Binghamton $129,210 Bloomington $129,190 Albany $129,180 Odessa $129,030 Kokomo $128,620 Buffalo $128,580 Kingston $128,560 Lexington $128,480 El Centro $128,310 Jackson $128,280 Detroit $128,200 Homosassa Springs $127,870 Corpus Christi $127,370 Beaumont $127,210 Bowling Green $126,820 Visalia $126,630 Fort Myers $126,530 Pittsburgh $126,430 Deltona $126,320 Ann Arbor $126,090 Tyler $126,090 Winchester $126,010 Corvallis $125,280 Atlantic City $125,080 Salisbury $124,920 Tallahassee $124,470 Allentown $124,420 Utica $124,370 Gainesville $123,800 Lebanon $123,670 Rochester $123,620 York $123,010 Modesto $122,860 Eugene $122,570 Killeen $122,560 Panama City $122,350 Blacksburg $122,180 Harrisonburg $122,060 Texarkana $121,920 Dover $121,730 Mount Vernon $121,700 Battle Creek $121,680 Sebring $121,430 Waco $121,420 El Paso $121,370 Walla Walla $121,190 Albany $120,990 Staunton $120,690 Louisville $120,560 Weirton $120,290 Yakima $120,160 Owensboro $120,070 Morgantown $120,060 Lakeland $119,900 Scranton $119,240 Bay City $119,200 Reading $119,170 Charleston $118,850 Lynchburg $118,720 Hagerstown $118,410 Roanoke $118,360 Ocala $117,750 Amarillo $117,690 Harrisburg $117,230 Watertown $117,190 Wichita Falls $116,530 Longview $116,290 Wheeling $116,050 McAllen $116,020 Kalamazoo $115,950 Springfield $115,900 Kankakee $115,700 Rockford $115,370 Lubbock $115,070 Champaign $114,930 Lancaster $114,920 Laredo $114,740 Indianapolis $114,120 Decatur $113,920 Pensacola $113,770 Grand Rapids $113,720 Chambersburg $113,550 State College $112,920 Bloomington $112,750 Niles $112,090 Johnstown $110,450 Brownsville $109,640 Huntington $109,390 College Station $109,360 Fort Wayne $107,900 Altoona $107,890 Gettysburg $107,840 Columbus $107,720 Muskegon $107,620 Flint $107,400 Erie $107,390 Terre Haute $106,850 Williamsport $106,820 Abilene $106,580 San Angelo $105,850 Saginaw $105,100 Elkhart $105,090 Muncie $105,030 Michigan City $105,000 Evansville $104,270 Lansing $104,190 Lafayette $103,580 Monroe $103,540 Paducah $102,960 Traverse City $102,450 Elizabethtown $102,040 South Bend $101,210 Beckley $100,290 Midland $96,320
CityMean salaryvs. El Centro
Abilene, Texas$106,580-16.9%
Albany, Oregon$120,990-5.7%
Albany, New York$129,180+0.7%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$124,420-3.0%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$107,890-15.9%
Amarillo, Texas$117,690-8.3%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$126,090-1.7%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$125,080-2.5%
Austin, Texas$143,630+11.9%
Bakersfield, California$153,610+19.7%
Baltimore, Maryland$153,910+20.0%
Battle Creek, Michigan$121,680-5.2%
Bay City, Michigan$119,200-7.1%
Beaumont, Texas$127,210-0.9%
Beckley, West Virginia$100,290-21.8%
Bellingham, Washington$130,430+1.7%
Bend, Oregon$138,150+7.7%
Binghamton, New York$129,210+0.7%
Blacksburg, Virginia$122,180-4.8%
Bloomington, Illinois$129,190+0.7%
Bloomington, Indiana$112,750-12.1%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$126,820-1.2%
Bremerton, Washington$141,130+10.0%
Brownsville, Texas$109,640-14.6%
Buffalo, New York$128,580+0.2%
Fort Myers, Florida$126,530-1.4%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$113,550-11.5%
Champaign, Illinois$114,930-10.4%
Charleston, West Virginia$118,850-7.4%
Charlottesville, Virginia$131,360+2.4%
Chicago, Illinois$141,640+10.4%
Chico, California$135,490+5.6%
College Station, Texas$109,360-14.8%
Columbus, Indiana$107,720-16.0%
Corpus Christi, Texas$127,370-0.7%
Corvallis, Oregon$125,280-2.4%
Crestview, Florida$130,640+1.8%
Dallas, Texas$138,810+8.2%
Decatur, Illinois$113,920-11.2%
Deltona, Florida$126,320-1.6%
Detroit, Michigan$128,200-0.1%
Dover, Delaware$121,730-5.1%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$102,040-20.5%
Elkhart, Indiana$105,090-18.1%
El Paso, Texas$121,370-5.4%
Erie, Pennsylvania$107,390-16.3%
Eugene, Oregon$122,570-4.5%
Evansville, Indiana$104,270-18.7%
Flint, Michigan$107,400-16.3%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$107,900-15.9%
Fresno, California$131,810+2.7%
Gainesville, Florida$123,800-3.5%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$107,840-16.0%
Glens Falls, New York$133,870+4.3%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$113,720-11.4%
Grants Pass, Oregon$135,760+5.8%
Hagerstown, Maryland$118,410-7.7%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$117,230-8.6%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$122,060-4.9%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$127,870-0.3%
Houston, Texas$133,130+3.8%
Huntington, West Virginia$109,390-14.7%
Indianapolis, Indiana$114,120-11.1%
Ithaca, New York$136,090+6.1%
Jackson, Michigan$128,280-0.0%
Jacksonville, Florida$130,520+1.7%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$110,450-13.9%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$115,950-9.6%
Kankakee, Illinois$115,700-9.8%
Kennewick, Washington$135,150+5.3%
Killeen, Texas$122,560-4.5%
Kingston, New York$128,560+0.2%
Kiryas Joel, New York$148,910+16.1%
Kokomo, Indiana$128,620+0.2%
Lafayette, Indiana$103,580-19.3%
Lakeland, Florida$119,900-6.6%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$114,920-10.4%
Lansing, Michigan$104,190-18.8%
Laredo, Texas$114,740-10.6%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$123,670-3.6%
Lexington, Kentucky$128,480+0.1%
Lexington Park, Maryland$142,960+11.4%
Longview, Texas$116,290-9.4%
Longview, Washington$139,760+8.9%
Los Angeles, California$161,900+26.2%
Louisville, Kentucky$120,560-6.0%
Lubbock, Texas$115,070-10.3%
Lynchburg, Virginia$118,720-7.5%
McAllen, Texas$116,020-9.6%
Medford, Oregon$131,500+2.5%
Merced, California$137,840+7.4%
Miami, Florida$144,730+12.8%
Michigan City, Indiana$105,000-18.2%
Midland, Michigan$96,320-24.9%
Midland, Texas$132,250+3.1%
Modesto, California$122,860-4.2%
Monroe, Michigan$103,540-19.3%
Morgantown, West Virginia$120,060-6.4%
Mount Vernon, Washington$121,700-5.2%
Muncie, Indiana$105,030-18.1%
Muskegon, Michigan$107,620-16.1%
Napa, California$154,740+20.6%
Naples, Florida$137,710+7.3%
New York, New York$165,870+29.3%
Niles, Michigan$112,090-12.6%
Sarasota, Florida$138,020+7.6%
Ocala, Florida$117,750-8.2%
Odessa, Texas$129,030+0.6%
Olympia, Washington$131,210+2.3%
Orlando, Florida$132,350+3.1%
Owensboro, Kentucky$120,070-6.4%
Oxnard, California$174,020+35.6%
Paducah, Kentucky$102,960-19.8%
Palm Bay, Florida$133,920+4.4%
Panama City, Florida$122,350-4.6%
Pensacola, Florida$113,770-11.3%
Peoria, Illinois$129,350+0.8%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$136,050+6.0%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$126,430-1.5%
Portland, Oregon$154,200+20.2%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$133,040+3.7%
Punta Gorda, Florida$134,580+4.9%
Reading, Pennsylvania$119,170-7.1%
Redding, California$129,870+1.2%
Richmond, Virginia$139,340+8.6%
Riverside, California$139,570+8.8%
Roanoke, Virginia$118,360-7.8%
Rochester, New York$123,620-3.7%
Rockford, Illinois$115,370-10.1%
Sacramento, California$152,930+19.2%
Saginaw, Michigan$105,100-18.1%
Salem, Oregon$131,570+2.5%
Salinas, California$140,500+9.5%
Salisbury, Maryland$124,920-2.6%
San Angelo, Texas$105,850-17.5%
San Antonio, Texas$130,080+1.4%
San Diego, California$163,300+27.3%
San Francisco, California$193,430+50.8%
San Jose, California$221,710+72.8%
San Luis Obispo, California$155,770+21.4%
Santa Cruz, California$153,930+20.0%
Santa Maria, California$158,220+23.3%
Santa Rosa, California$152,280+18.7%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$119,240-7.1%
Seattle, Washington$174,920+36.3%
Sebastian, Florida$133,080+3.7%
Sebring, Florida$121,430-5.4%
Sherman, Texas$131,130+2.2%
South Bend, Indiana$101,210-21.1%
Spokane, Washington$135,110+5.3%
Springfield, Illinois$115,900-9.7%
State College, Pennsylvania$112,920-12.0%
Staunton, Virginia$120,690-5.9%
Stockton, California$147,640+15.1%
Syracuse, New York$130,980+2.1%
Tallahassee, Florida$124,470-3.0%
Tampa, Florida$133,630+4.1%
Terre Haute, Indiana$106,850-16.7%
Texarkana, Texas$121,920-5.0%
Traverse City, Michigan$102,450-20.2%
Trenton, New Jersey$132,620+3.4%
Tyler, Texas$126,090-1.7%
Utica, New York$124,370-3.1%
Vallejo, California$142,170+10.8%
Vineland, New Jersey$129,240+0.7%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$129,340+0.8%
Visalia, California$126,630-1.3%
Waco, Texas$121,420-5.4%
Walla Walla, Washington$121,190-5.5%
Watertown, New York$117,190-8.7%
Weirton, West Virginia$120,290-6.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$132,950+3.6%
Wheeling, West Virginia$116,050-9.6%
Wichita Falls, Texas$116,530-9.2%
Wildwood, Florida$133,500+4.0%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$106,820-16.7%
Winchester, Virginia$126,010-1.8%
Yakima, Washington$120,160-6.4%
York, Pennsylvania$123,010-4.1%
Yuba City, California$136,090+6.1%
Gross salary
128,310/yr
Estimated take-home
91,125/yr
Est. total withheld
29.0%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Software Developers salaries in California → All Software Developers salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for El Centro

These notes add local color around El Centro, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 15-1252 SOC code
Official area El Centro, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 20940 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
179,319