The median annual wage for software developers working in Boulder, CO, sits at $164,560, per BLS survey data. It runs 36% above the national median of $121,110 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $129,210 and $206,650 — a 77,440 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The average (mean) of $166,480 comes in higher than the median, which usually means a share of high earners is pulling the average up. The catch: Boulder is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $79.11, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for software developers across all U.S. metros in our data is $121,110.