Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Arizona publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 34,380 jobs. The three largest employers of software developers are Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler (29,380 jobs), Tucson (4,060 jobs), Sierra Vista-Douglas (280 jobs), which hold 98.1% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $113,580 to $131,750 a year, against $129,690 for the whole state and $135,980 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $135,980 a year for software developers (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $82,460 and the highest-paid tenth over $214,670). Employment is projected to change by +10.2% between 2025 and 2035, with about 95,300 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Bachelor's degree. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Software developers in Arizona: the highest median pay is in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area ($131,750 a year); the most jobs are in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (29,380). Statewide the median is $129,690 with 38,050 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 29,380 | $131,750 | $82,500 | $180,460 | 1.14 | 16% | 103.3 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 210 | $125,590 | $75,690 | $173,860 | 0.27 | 13% | 98.3 |
| Tucson, AZ | 4,060 | $123,710 | $79,090 | $184,820 | 0.96 | 12% | 96.9 |
| Yuma, AZ | 230 | $121,610 | $66,900 | $174,020 | 0.31 | 10% | 92.7 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 280 | $115,890 | $66,760 | $169,040 | 0.77 | 10% | 89.2 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 110 | $114,750 | $63,350 | $151,260 | 0.17 | 11% | 94.1 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 110 | $113,580 | $67,850 | $181,500 | 0.16 | 16% | 100.3 |
National page: Software developers →Cities of Arizona
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area, with a median of $131,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area, with 29,380 jobs.