How much do Software Developers charge in 2026?
Software Developers charge between $98 and $176 per hour in 2026, with a target of $130 at 5 years of experience based in the United States. Senior engineers with cloud, security, or AI specialization sit at the top of that range; junior generalists sit at the bottom. Geography moves the band by 0.5× to 1.6× — pick where your clients actually are, not where you live, and the calculator below will adjust. Related: Designer · Data Analyst.
Web, mobile, backend, full-stack — React, Node, Python, Go, Rust.
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Your rate
Software Developer · 5 yr · United States
$$130/ hour target
$98target$176
LowPremium
- Day rate
- $910
- Monthly retainer
- $17,017
Why this rate
Senior + 1.00× United States.
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Three numbers, one source: Aggregated public 2024-2025 freelance rate surveys. We replace with live data when volume justifies it.