Columbia, MO · CBSA 17860
Software Engineer Salary in Columbia
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for software engineers in Columbia, MO, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Missouri and the national benchmark.
Software Engineers in Columbia earn a median of $100,680 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $84,200–$121,930; the top 10% earn $149,500. That is 24% below the national median and 12% below the Missouri median. BLS reports 530 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$100,680
-24% vs national
Top 10% earn
$149,500
90th percentile
Employed in metro
530
Reliability Good (7% RSE)
Software Engineer pay — Columbia vs Missouri vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $64,660 | -19% |
| 25th percentile | $84,200 | -18% |
| Median50th percentile | $100,680 | -24% |
| 75th percentile | $121,930 | -28% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $149,500 | -29% |
| Meanaverage | $104,140 | -28% |
How concentrated software engineers are in Columbia
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
0.47
Jobs per 1,000
4.99
Metro rank (pay)
#297 of 381
All engineering roles
$97,637
At a location quotient of 0.47, this occupation is thinner on the ground in Columbia than nationally. Pay can still be competitive, but the local employer pool is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a software engineer make in Columbia?
Does Columbia pay more than the rest of Missouri?
Where does Columbia rank nationally for software engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), Columbia, MO (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →