How Much Do Entry-Level Coders Make In Each State? Salary Guide By State 2024

You’ve put in the hard work, you’ve applied to hundreds of jobs, and

Here’s the truth: Most bootcamp and CS grads can expect to get junior level roles after they graduate.

And that’s okay! The point of your education is to give you a strong grasp of the skills you need to get your foot in the door of a new tech career.

So, what kind of salary can you expect to get once graduation from coding bootcamp or a computer science degree?

Well, that’s a loaded question for a few reasons. Mostly, because there are quite a few factors that go into determining the range of salary you can expect when first starting out as a first-time coder.

Here are the largest factors:

Location: Even with remote working as prevalent as it is in 2024, the location of your job still matters when it comes to determining entry level coding salaries. This is because the cost of living can still vary dramatically depending where you are, and many employers take this into consideration when shelling out a salary. Employers in California will need to offer higher salaries than those in North Carolina, simply due to how much it costs to live there.

Specialty: Another consideration when it comes to determining an entry level salary for a first time coder is specialty: front end, back end, or full stack development. Front end development involves creating the aspects of a website or app that users interact with, while back end development involves building the infrastructure that supports the front end behind the scenes. Full stack development combines these two focuses. Generally speaking, front end development roles tend to be easier to get for first time coders, and usually offer lower salaries compared to other roles within the field.
Experience: Funnily enough, experience still matters for first time software engineers. While you may not have traditional experience in the sense of a previous 9-5, there are other ways to prove your skillset, and in turn negotiate a higher salary. This can be anything from internships, to real-world project experience that we offer here at Rithm, or self-coded projects that you do in your own time.

Type of company: Finally, the type of company that you’re applying to, and the industry it’s in can have a huge affect on the salary range offered. For example, a company in the tech industry is likely to value and reward software engineers more than a company in the construction industry. Additionally, start-up vs. corporate can play a big role in the value that a company places on an entry-level role.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, the average Entry Level Software Engineer salary in the United States is $78,818 as of February 2024, according to Salary.com

Breaking that down by state, here is a list of average salaries* for entry-level coders based on where you live:

Alaska is $85,991
Alabama is $72,410
Arkansas is $71,827
Arizona is $77,195
California is $86,937
Colorado is $79,630
Connecticut is $84,951
District of Columbia is $87,741
Delaware is $80,513
Florida is $74,878
Georgia is $76,480
Hawaii is $82,696
Iowa is $75,429
Idaho is $73,180
Illinois is $80,986
Indiana is $76,864
Kansas is $75,051
Kentucky is $74,168
Louisiana is $74,941
Massachusetts is $85,778
Maryland is $81,267
Maine is $75,981
Michigan is $78,171
Minnesota is $80,773
Missouri is $75,102
Mississippi is $70,290
Montana is $72,055
North Carolina is $75,666
North Dakota is $75,681
Nebraska is $73,955
New Hampshire is $79,859
New Jersey is $86,771
New Mexico is $72,702
Nevada is $79,670
New York is $84,107
Ohio is $77,303
Oklahoma is $72,876
Oregon is $79,244
Pennsylvania is $78,661
Rhode Island is $82,602
South Carolina is $74,413
South Dakota is $69,455
Tennessee is $72,458
Texas is $77,479
Utah is $74,579
Virginia is $78,346
Vermont is $75,902
Washington is $84,564
Wisconsin is $77,636
West Virginia is $70,974
Wyoming is $72,497

*This average is based on data collected in February 2024 from Salary.com.

Here at Rithm School, we’re proud to say that our graduates have historically earned $20,000+ higher than average in their first-time role post graduation.

Location-aside, coding bootcamp students who graduate from Rithm School can expect to earn an average $103,500 in their first job, based on data collected from students who graduated in the second half of 2022.

This is due to our extensive focus on job readiness & career support; including an advanced & highly relevant curriculum, real-life professional project experience, mock interview & career support, and 1:1 mentorship program—all designed to help you land the best possible job (and salary) post graduation.