SOC 15-1252 · San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro

Software Developers Salary in San Luis Obispo, CA

The average salary for software developers in San Luis Obispo, California is $155,770 a year ($74.89 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $135,020: half of the 520 people in this job in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).

$155,770average per year

$74.89 / hourMedian $135,020Take-home ≈ $107,340

  • $75K10th
  • $99K25th
  • $135KMedian
  • $166K75th
  • $204K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

520people in this job
+4%vs U.S. metro average
#7 of 24California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Software Developers pay range in San Luis Obispo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $204,240 or more. The middle half of software developers in San Luis Obispo earn between $98,620 and $166,280.

  • $75K10th
  • $99K25th
  • $135KMedian
  • $166K75th
  • $204K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$155,770$12,981$74.89
Median$135,020$11,252$64.91
Entry level (25th percentile)$98,620$8,218$47.41
Experienced (75th percentile)$166,280$13,857$79.94

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Software Developers salary after taxes in San Luis Obispo

On the average salary of $155,770, a single filer in San Luis Obispo takes home about $107,340 a year, or $8,945 a month and $4,128 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% 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.

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Is San Luis Obispo a good place for software developers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Luis Obispo area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.6), so the average $155,770 buys what about $143,440 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in San Luis Obispo ($50,770). A typical home costs $909,699, or 5.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $155,770 is worth in another city

Software Developers salary in other California cities

San Luis Obispo ranks 7th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($221,710).

All Software Developers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for software developers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($221,710).

Software Developers salary by city

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Software Developers salary in San Luis Obispo: questions

How much do software developers make an hour in San Luis Obispo?

$74.89 an hour on average, and $64.91 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level software developers salary in San Luis Obispo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $98,620, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the software developers take-home pay in San Luis Obispo?

About $107,340 a year ($8,945 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $155,770. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do software developers earn more in San Luis Obispo than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% more 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA (42020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 12.4%.
  • 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 0.40, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.40).

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