Things are looking good these days for software industry workers, who are making more than twice the average annual wage of other workers, according to a research report released this week by Software.org: The BSA Foundation.
The average annual wage for software jobs in the US was $114,000 in 2019, more than double the $51,960 annual wage for all US workers in 2018. All told, the software industry directly employs 3.1 million people in the US—up 7.3 percent from 2016—and indirectly supports a total of 14.1 million jobs. Of the 3.1 million software industry jobs in the US, California led the way with 557,657 of those jobs, followed by Texas with 244,830 software industry jobs and Virginia with 188,939.
The research data and analysis were provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by Software.org. Other findings revealed in the report:
- The software industry invested more than $82 billion in research and development in 2018, accounting for more than 22 percent of US domestic R&D.
- The software industry has expanded by 19 percent since 2016.
- The number of software industry jobs grew twice as fast as overall US job growth.
- In 2018, the software industry experienced double-digit growth in 39 states. Four states—Nevada, Washington, South Dakota, and Wyoming—saw growth of more than 30 percent.
- Software supports one in every 10 jobs in the United States.
Software.org: The BSA Foundation publishes reports and studies of the impact of software on our economy and society with the goal of influencing public policy. To promote technological advancement and growth, Software.org encourages business and government leaders to invest in workforce training that allows people to acquire the skills needed for the jobs of the future.