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Computer Programmers: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 15-1251.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Computer Programmers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Prompt Engineer (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| COMPUTER PROGRAMMER | 0811 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| PROGRAMMER, ENGINEER & SCIENTIFIC | 0949 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Prompt Engineer | 3081 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 4,000 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What computer programmers earn, by state
Connecticut has the highest state median for computer programmers ($133,820) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($51,310), across the 47 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $133,820 | $64.34 | 1,650 |
| Massachusetts | $128,390 | $61.73 | 1,930 |
| Washington | $125,620 | $60.39 | 2,540 |
| Maryland | $125,570 | $60.37 | 2,490 |
| Virginia | $121,610 | $58.47 | 3,070 |
| Hawaii | $118,180 | $56.82 | 450 |
| California | $116,760 | $56.13 | 11,340 |
| Arkansas | $111,840 | $53.77 | 1,050 |
| Minnesota | $107,250 | $51.56 | 2,070 |
| New Jersey | $104,940 | $50.45 | 3,930 |
| Utah | $104,890 | $50.43 | 690 |
| Colorado | $104,610 | $50.29 | 930 |
| New York | $103,980 | $49.99 | 7,020 |
| Maine | $101,780 | $48.93 | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $99,780 | $47.97 | 990 |
| South Carolina | $99,740 | $47.95 | 790 |
| Oregon | $99,540 | $47.85 | 1,370 |
| Texas | $99,330 | $47.76 | 7,620 |
| Georgia | $98,380 | $47.30 | 1,890 |
| Indiana | $97,000 | $46.64 | 1,520 |
| Rhode Island | $96,470 | $46.38 | 250 |
| Nebraska | $95,150 | $45.75 | 1,090 |
| Kentucky | $94,850 | $45.60 | 950 |
| Alabama | $93,800 | $45.10 | 890 |
| Nevada | $93,600 | $45.00 | 840 |
| Florida | $93,180 | $44.80 | 4,760 |
| Kansas | $92,960 | $44.69 | 460 |
| North Dakota | $92,280 | $44.37 | 190 |
| Alaska | $91,700 | $44.09 | 530 |
| Missouri | $90,420 | $43.47 | 1,520 |
| Montana | $89,920 | $43.23 | Not published |
| Vermont | $89,560 | $43.06 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,180 | $42.87 | 3,120 |
| Idaho | $89,020 | $42.80 | Not published |
| Arizona | $88,990 | $42.78 | 1,560 |
| Ohio | $85,270 | $41.00 | 2,100 |
| Mississippi | $85,120 | $40.92 | 1,170 |
| New Mexico | $83,750 | $40.26 | 600 |
| Wyoming | $81,640 | $39.25 | 60 |
| North Carolina | $81,070 | $38.98 | 4,120 |
| Iowa | $79,180 | $38.07 | 950 |
| New Hampshire | $74,000 | $35.58 | Not published |
| Illinois | $72,540 | $34.88 | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $65,860 | $31.67 | 4,400 |
| West Virginia | $65,320 | $31.40 | 140 |
| South Dakota | $58,240 | $28.00 | 70 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,310 | $24.67 | 920 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).