Software Developers salary in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Software Developers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Arizona tax rules.
The figures
The median Software Developers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earns $131,750 a year ($63.34 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn between $104,230 and $163,370 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $82,500 or less and the top 10 percent earn $180,460 or more. BLS estimates 29,380 Software Developers jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area — 12.368 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.14 (above the national concentration). That is 1.7% of all Software Developers employment in the United States (1,687,890 jobs nationally). By employment, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ is the #11 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Software Developers. In aggregate, Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn about $3.98 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $100,908.28 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Software Developers is about $2.96 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 6.8% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #19 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Software Developers. By employment, Software Developers is the #13 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Placed against the national distribution for Software Developers, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $131,750 falls between the national 25th percentile ($105,210) and the national median ($135,980). Across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median is $51,380 a year — Software Developers pay is 156.4% above the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $65.15 | $135,520 |
| 10th percentile | $39.66 | $82,500 |
| 25th percentile | $50.11 | $104,230 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $63.34 | $131,750 |
| 75th percentile | $78.55 | $163,370 |
| 90th percentile | $86.76 | $180,460 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn 2.2 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($180,460 against $82,500). The middle half spans $59,140 — from $104,230 to $163,370. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($86.76) is 2.19 times the 10th ($39.66). In the upper half of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $163,370 takes home $119,247.74 and the 90th percentile wage of $180,460 takes home $130,501.26 — $11,253.52 more net for $17,090 more gross. Against the median take-home of $98,425.80, the top decile keeps 1.33 times as much. The mean wage of $135,520 sits 2.9% above the median: higher-paid Software Developers pull the average up in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Among the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, Software Developers ranks #1 by median pay. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage ladder of covered occupations, Software Developers sits just above Registered Nurses at $100,830. Software Developers accounts for 1.2% of all employment in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area. The average covered metro employs 36,902 Software Developers; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ employs 0.8 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Arizona
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Arizona; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $131,750.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $20,354.00 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $8,168.50 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $1,910.37 |
| Arizona income tax | $2,891.25 |
| Total deductions | $33,324.20 |
| Net pay (annual) | $98,425.80 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $3,785.61 |
| Total deduction rate | 25.29% of gross |
At the median, $98,425.80 of the $131,750 gross is kept ($3,785.61 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 25.29%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 20.96% at the 10th percentile, 23.29% at the 25th percentile, 27.01% at the 75th percentile, 27.68% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $39,295.24 on a gross rise of $59,140.
The same engine at the other published points of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($82,500) | $65,208.70 | $2,508.03 | 20.96% |
| 25th percentile ($104,230) | $79,952.50 | $3,075.10 | 23.29% |
| Median ($131,750) | $98,425.80 | $3,785.61 | 25.29% |
| 75th percentile ($163,370) | $119,247.74 | $4,586.45 | 27.01% |
| 90th percentile ($180,460) | $130,501.26 | $5,019.28 | 27.68% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $65,208.70 a year at the 10th percentile to $130,501.26 at the 90th — a spread of $65,292.56 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median wage of $51,380 takes home $42,582.12 a year ($1,637.77 per paycheck, deduction rate 17.12%). The Software Developers median take-home of $98,425.80 sits $55,843.68 (above that area-wide figure.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Software Developers earns $135,980 a year ($65.38 an hour). The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $131,750 is $4,230 (3.1%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $135,520 a year in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ against $148,100 nationally, a gap of $12,580 (8.5%).
Set against the whole local market, the Software Developers 90th percentile of $180,460 is 144% of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ all-occupations 90th percentile ($125,130), and its 10th percentile of $82,500 is 237% of the area-wide 10th ($34,800).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $131,750 | $63.34 | $135,520 |
| United States | $135,980 | $65.38 | $148,100 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$131,750 a year ($63.34 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $135,520 a year. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #19 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $131,750 in Arizona?
About $98,425.80 a year ($3,785.61 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 25.29% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $163,370, take-home is $119,247.74.
How does pay in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ compare with the national median for Software Developers?
The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $131,750 is $4,230 (3.1%) below the national median of $135,980 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $180,460, against a national 90th percentile of $214,670.
How much do the top 10% of Software Developers earn in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$180,460 a year or more ($86.76 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
On $180,460 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $130,501.26 a year ($5,019.28 per biweekly paycheck) in Arizona under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 27.68%.
How many Software Developers jobs are there in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
BLS estimates 29,380 Software Developers jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — 12.368 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Software Developers jobs in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
The location quotient is 1.14 — above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
From $65,208.70 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($82,500) to $130,501.26 at the 90th ($180,460), under the same single-filer assumptions in Arizona.
What is the total wage bill for Software Developers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
About $3.98 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 29,380 multiplied by the mean wage of $135,520.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.