H1B Report
Salary comparison

Software Developers vs Cost Estimators

Side-by-side H-1B prevailing-wage comparison using the same DOL LCA data that drives every page on H1B Report. Quartiles, hiring geography, top sponsors and yearly wage drift.

Occupation A
Software Developers
SOC 15-1252Rank #1
Occupation B
Cost Estimators
SOC 13-1051Rank #63

Key metrics

Wage figures are offered annual wage; volume is total LCA count.

MetricSoftware DevelopersCost Estimators
Median wage$102,000$75,000
P25 wage$84,000$60,000
P75 wage$130,000$98,000
Wage spread (P75 − P25)$46,000$38,000
Total filings2,765,22613,578
Wage samples2,760,33413,478
Rank#1#63

Median wage by year

Year-over-year drift of the typical offered wage.

Software Developers
Time series: 17 points from FY2010 to FY2026
Time series
PeriodValue
FY2010$80k
FY2011$80k
FY2012$81k
FY2013$82k
FY2014$82k
FY2015$82k
FY2016$84k
FY2017$90k
FY2018$93k
FY2019$96k
FY2020$103k
FY2021$112k
FY2022$115k
FY2023$120k
FY2024$124k
FY2025$133k
FY2026$143k
Cost Estimators
Time series: 17 points from FY2010 to FY2026
Time series
PeriodValue
FY2010$62k
FY2011$60k
FY2012$61k
FY2013$65k
FY2014$62k
FY2015$63k
FY2016$69k
FY2017$66k
FY2018$70k
FY2019$73k
FY2020$77k
FY2021$82k
FY2022$90k
FY2023$93k
FY2024$93k
FY2025$93k
FY2026$110k

Top 5 hiring states — Software Developers

  • 1CA571,349$130,000
  • 2TX328,305$98,910
  • 3WA175,348$135,000
  • 4NJ152,178$100,000
  • 5NY127,190$110,460

Top 5 hiring states — Cost Estimators

  • 1NY2,301$72,088
  • 2CA2,281$85,747
  • 3TX1,690$78,978
  • 4NJ839$71,800
  • 5FL563$65,000
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Software Developers vs Cost Estimators — H-1B Salary Comparison · H1B Report