Computer Science Salary: Entry-Level to Senior Pay

Two numbers tell the whole story. Employers project an average starting salary of $81,535 for computer science graduates, the highest of any major, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The median software developer earns $134,040, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2025.

The space between those two figures is where your career actually happens. It’s also why the $150,000 offers you see posted online feel so disconnected from the jobs you’re being offered. Those are senior salaries, or outliers at a handful of companies. Here’s what the path between them really looks like, and what moves you along it faster.

Key Takeaways

• Computer science graduates have the highest projected starting salary of any major at $81,535 for the Class of 2026, up 6.9% year over year.
• The median wage across computer and IT occupations was $109,470 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all occupations.
• Software developers earn a median of $134,040, and information security analysts $129,180.
• Role choice moves pay more than almost anything else, with over $70,000 separating support roles from research roles.
• Accreditation, not delivery format, determines how employers view an online degree.

What Does a Computer Science Graduate Earn at Entry Level?

Entry-level computer science graduates earn roughly $70,000 to $90,000 in the United States, depending on role, employer, and location. NACE’s projection of $81,535 for the Class of 2026 sits right in the middle of that range, and it rose 6.9% from the previous year’s $76,251, the largest increase of any field they track.

That same survey found hiring is expected to be flat. Salaries are climbing while the number of openings isn’t, which matches what graduates have been reporting: the offers are good, but getting one takes longer than it used to.

Where the $150,000 Headlines Come From

Those figures are real, but they describe a narrow slice of the market. They come from large technology firms in expensive metro areas, and they typically include stock and bonuses rather than base salary alone. Comparing your first offer in a mid-sized city against a total compensation package in San Francisco isn’t a useful comparison.

A more accurate benchmark is your local market. Search job postings for junior developer roles in your own city and read the advertised ranges. That number is the one that matters.

What Do Computer Science Jobs Pay Across Roles?

Pay varies enormously by role, and this is where most of the difference sits. Here’s the current picture from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using May 2025 median wages.

Role	Median Annual Pay	Typical Entry Education
Computer and information research scientists	$140,300	Master’s degree
Computer network architects	$134,050	Bachelor’s degree
Software developers, QA analysts, testers	$134,040	Bachelor’s degree
Information security analysts	$129,180	Bachelor’s degree
Database administrators and architects	$126,760	Bachelor’s degree
Data scientists	$120,230	Bachelor’s degree
Computer systems analysts	$105,850	Bachelor’s degree
Computer programmers	$100,390	Bachelor’s degree
Web developers and digital designers	$99,520	Bachelor’s degree
Network and systems administrators	$99,130	Bachelor’s degree
Computer support specialists	$62,890	Varies

The spread is more than $77,000 between the top and bottom of that list. Which role you aim for will shape your earnings more than which school you attended or which city you live in. If you’re unsure which direction suits you, the differences between computer science and software engineering are a sensible place to start.

Is the Field Still Growing in 2026?

Yes, though more modestly than the field’s reputation suggests. BLS projects employment across computer and IT occupations to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 280,000 openings each year.

Where Growth Is Concentrated

Growth isn’t spread evenly, and the gaps are significant.

Data scientists are projected to grow 35% between 2025 and 2035, making it one of the fastest-growing occupations in the entire economy. Information security analysts are close behind at 21%, with a median of $129,180. Software developers are projected at 10%. Web developers and digital designers sit at around 5%.

Those differences matter more than the headline. Choosing a specialization with strong projected demand is one of the few decisions you can make now that measurably changes your position later.

On the Oversaturation Worry

The honest answer is that entry-level hiring is harder than it was three years ago, and NACE’s flat hiring projection confirms that. But “harder to get your first job” isn’t the same as “the field is shrinking.” Median pay across computer and IT occupations is $109,470, more than double the $50,980 median across all occupations, and it has kept rising. The competition is at the entry gate, not across the career. There’s a fuller discussion of whether a computer science degree is worth it if that’s the question you’re really weighing.

What Raises a Computer Science Salary?

Four things move computer science pay, and they’re not equally within your control.

• Role and specialization. The single biggest lever. Moving from support into security or data work can mean a $60,000 difference at the same experience level.
• Years of experience. Pay rises steadily through the first decade, with the sharpest climb usually between years three and eight.
• Industry. Finance, government, and large technology firms generally pay more than startups or nonprofits for equivalent work.
• Demonstrable skills. Portfolio projects, contributions to open source, and specific tool experience often carry more weight in interviews than coursework alone.

Education level matters too, but less than people expect at the start. NACE projects $94,212 for computer science master’s graduates against $81,535 for bachelor’s graduates, a gap of around $12,700. That’s real, but a bachelor’s graduate with two years of work experience is often in a comparable position. Experience tends to close the gap faster than a second degree does, which is worth knowing before you commit to graduate study. Sharpening the computer science skills employers screen for is usually the quicker route.

Does the Type of Degree Affect What You Earn?

Accreditation affects what you earn. Delivery format doesn’t.

This is the question that worries people most about studying online, and the answer is consistent: employers check whether the institution is accredited by a recognized body. They very rarely ask whether you attended lectures in person. A degree from an accredited online university carries the same weight as one from a comparable campus program.

What to Verify Before Enrolling

Check the accrediting body by name, and check that it’s recognized in the country where you plan to work. In the United States, that means regional or national accreditation recognized by the Department of Education. UoPeople is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, which is the same regional accreditor used by universities across California and the western United States.

Our online Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is tuition-free and fully online, with students paying a per-course assessment fee instead of tuition. The current fee schedule and admissions requirements are published on the program page. There’s also more detail on what studying computer science online involves if you want a sense of the format first.

How Much Does Location Change Your Pay?

Location is one of the strongest predictors of computer science salary, often more than experience in the early years. Developers in major technology hubs can earn 50% or more than those doing equivalent work in smaller markets.

That gap is real, but it comes with housing costs that often eat up the difference. A $140,000 salary in a high-cost metro and a $95,000 salary in a mid-sized city can leave you in much the same position at the end of the month.

If You’re Outside the US

Computer science pay varies widely between countries, but the pattern holds nearly everywhere: CS roles tend to pay well above the local average, often by a multiple rather than a margin. Remote work has also opened cross-border opportunities that didn’t exist a decade ago, though competition for those roles is global. There’s a country-by-country breakdown in this look at computer science salaries from around the globe.

How Do You Start Earning a Computer Science Salary?

You start with an accredited degree, because it’s still the baseline most employers screen for in developer, analyst, and engineering roles.

Consider the arithmetic. A student completes a tuition-free accredited CS degree at University of the People, paying assessment fees that total a fraction of what a conventional program costs, while continuing to work. They enter the field at around $81,000. Even if that salary never moved, the degree would pay for itself in a matter of months rather than years. Compare that with a graduate carrying $60,000 in loans into the same job: the starting salary is identical, but the financial position is not.

Admission to our program requires a high school diploma or equivalent and English proficiency. There’s no entrance exam and no campus attendance, and coursework is asynchronous so that you can study around work. If you’d rather test the waters first, the basics of computer science and an introduction to what computer programming actually involves will tell you whether the subject holds your interest. From there, reviewing the careers a CS degree leads to and the route into programming roles will help you pick a direction.

FAQs

Do computer scientists get paid well?

Yes. The median across computer and IT occupations was $109,470 in May 2025, compared with $50,980 across all occupations. Software developers earn a median of $134,040, and research scientists $140,300.

What’s the average starting salary for a computer science graduate?

NACE projects $81,535 for Class of 2026 computer science bachelor’s graduates, the highest of any major and up 6.9% year over year. Your own offer will depend on role, employer, and location.

Is a CS degree still worth it in 2026?

For most students, yes. Entry-level hiring is more competitive than it was a few years ago, but median pay remains more than double the all-occupation median and BLS projects faster-than-average growth through 2035.

Does an online computer science degree pay the same as a campus degree?

Accreditation determines employer recognition, not delivery format. A degree from an accredited online university carries the same market credibility as a comparable campus program.

Which computer science roles pay the most?

Research scientists ($140,300), network architects ($134,050), software developers ($134,040), and information security analysts ($129,180) sit at the top, based on May 2025 BLS medians.