Software Developers pay range in Houston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $181,770 or more. The middle half of software developers in Houston earn between $101,190 and $159,450.
- $80K10th
- $101K25th
- $129KMedian
- $159K75th
- $182K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $133,130 | $11,094 | $64.00 |
| Median | $129,440 | $10,787 | $62.23 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $101,190 | $8,432 | $48.65 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $159,450 | $13,288 | $76.66 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Software Developers salary after taxes in Houston
On the average salary of $133,130, a single filer in Houston takes home about $102,260 a year, or $8,522 a month and $3,933 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Houston a good place for software developers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $133,130 buys what about $134,981 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 2.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Software Developers salary in other Texas cities
Houston ranks 3rd of 24 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($143,630).
- Austin$143,630
- Dallas$138,810
- Houston$133,130
- Midland$132,250
- Sherman$131,130
- San Antonio$130,080
- Odessa$129,030
- Corpus Christi$127,370
- Beaumont$127,210
- Tyler$126,090
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 Houston: questions
How much do software developers make an hour in Houston?
$64.01 an hour on average, and $62.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level software developers salary in Houston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $101,190, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the software developers take-home pay in Houston?
About $102,260 a year ($8,522 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $133,130. Texas has no state income tax.
Do software developers earn more in Houston than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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