Minnesota · SOC 15-1252
Software Engineer Salary in Minnesota
VerifiedPublished wages for software engineers in Minnesota, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Software Engineers in Minnesota earn a median of $124,540 per year ($121,600 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $98,470–$144,860; the top 10% earn $166,910. That is 6% below the national median of $133,080, ranking Minnesota #24 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$124,540
-6% vs national
Top 10% earn
$166,910
90th percentile
Employed in state
39,580
Reliability High (3.9% RSE)
Software Engineer pay distribution — Minnesota vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $75,340 | -6% |
| 25th percentile | $98,470 | -4% |
| Median50th percentile | $124,540 | -6% |
| 75th percentile | $144,860 | -14% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $166,910 | -21% |
| Meanaverage | $121,600 | -16% |
Where software engineers earn most in Minnesota
Metro areas in Minnesota where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 15-1252. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| RochesterRochester, MN | $130,480 | $165,820 | 1,630 |
| MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $129,430 | $167,350 | 29,550 |
| FargoFargo, ND-MN | $103,030 | $155,410 | 900 |
| DuluthDuluth, MN-WI | $100,530 | $152,810 | 490 |
| St. CloudSt. Cloud, MN | $100,110 | $149,050 | 380 |
| La CrosseLa Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $99,930 | $153,470 | 380 |
| MankatoMankato, MN | $98,870 | $129,310 | 150 |
| Grand ForksGrand Forks, ND-MN | $89,530 | $139,720 | 150 |
| Sioux FallsSioux Falls, SD-MN | $87,770 | $128,490 | 1,230 |
Minnesota engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.26
Jobs per 1,000
13.55
State rank (pay)
#24 of 51
All engineering roles
$114,440
A location quotient of 1.26 means Minnesota employs software engineers at a meaningfully higher rate than the country as a whole — a genuine cluster for this discipline.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), Minnesota (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →