Software Developers pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,210 a year or less, while the top 10% make $201,850 or more. The middle half of software developers in Merced earn between $102,220 and $164,990.
- $79K10th
- $102K25th
- $132KMedian
- $165K75th
- $202K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $137,840 | $11,487 | $66.27 |
| Median | $132,120 | $11,010 | $63.52 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $102,220 | $8,518 | $49.14 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $164,990 | $13,749 | $79.32 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Software Developers salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $137,840, a single filer in Merced takes home about $96,753 a year, or $8,063 a month and $3,721 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for software developers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $137,840 buys what about $140,259 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 3.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Software Developers salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 17th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($221,710).
- San Jose$221,710
- San Francisco$193,430
- Oxnard$174,020
- San Diego$163,300
- Los Angeles$161,900
- Santa Maria$158,220
- San Luis Obispo$155,770
- Napa$154,740
- Santa Cruz$153,930
- Merced$137,840
Highest-paying cities for software developers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($221,710).
- San Jose, CA$221,710
- San Francisco, CA$193,430
- Seattle, WA$174,920
- Oxnard, CA$174,020
- Boulder, CO$166,480
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Software Developers salary in Merced: questions
How much do software developers make an hour in Merced?
$66.27 an hour on average, and $63.52 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level software developers salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,210 a year and the 25th percentile is $102,220, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the software developers take-home pay in Merced?
About $96,753 a year ($8,063 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $137,840. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do software developers earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 15-1252; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.10, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.10).
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