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Software Developers: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 15-1252.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Software Developers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Application Developer (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Application Developer | 1129 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Competency-Based (V2): 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Hybrid (V2): 2,000 to 4,000 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 2,000 hours |
| Commercial Drone Software Developer | 2072 | Competency-Based: 3,360 hours Hybrid: 3,360 to 4,200 hours Time-Based: 3,360 hours |
| DevOps Engineer (NOF) | 4003 | 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 software developers earn, by state
California has the highest state median for software developers ($174,410) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($79,380), across the 51 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $174,410 | $83.85 | 284,390 |
| Washington | $166,540 | $80.07 | 107,030 |
| New York | $166,180 | $79.89 | 113,510 |
| Massachusetts | $165,210 | $79.43 | 48,190 |
| Oregon | $142,720 | $68.62 | 21,830 |
| New Hampshire | $139,720 | $67.17 | 10,840 |
| Maryland | $138,680 | $66.67 | 31,350 |
| Colorado | $138,390 | $66.53 | 43,320 |
| District of Columbia | $136,880 | $65.81 | 6,120 |
| Virginia | $136,460 | $65.61 | 88,280 |
| New Jersey | $135,940 | $65.36 | 51,570 |
| North Carolina | $134,710 | $64.76 | 58,470 |
| Connecticut | $134,120 | $64.48 | 13,660 |
| Delaware | $133,020 | $63.95 | 3,380 |
| Texas | $132,150 | $63.54 | 163,880 |
| Illinois | $132,110 | $63.52 | 56,310 |
| Idaho | $131,590 | $63.26 | 5,750 |
| Georgia | $131,010 | $62.99 | 49,700 |
| Florida | $130,980 | $62.97 | 87,890 |
| Rhode Island | $130,590 | $62.78 | 5,070 |
| Minnesota | $130,050 | $62.52 | 35,890 |
| Arizona | $129,690 | $62.35 | 38,050 |
| South Carolina | $129,450 | $62.24 | 13,230 |
| Nevada | $128,810 | $61.93 | 4,520 |
| Utah | $128,810 | $61.93 | 31,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $126,550 | $60.84 | 55,920 |
| Missouri | $126,120 | $60.64 | 20,020 |
| Michigan | $125,570 | $60.37 | 43,460 |
| Vermont | $125,280 | $60.23 | 1,740 |
| New Mexico | $124,520 | $59.86 | 3,960 |
| Hawaii | $124,040 | $59.64 | 1,600 |
| Maine | $123,120 | $59.19 | 2,790 |
| Wisconsin | $122,660 | $58.97 | 21,730 |
| Alabama | $122,540 | $58.91 | 17,450 |
| Tennessee | $122,430 | $58.86 | 19,030 |
| Montana | $121,990 | $58.65 | 2,160 |
| West Virginia | $121,000 | $58.18 | 2,650 |
| Oklahoma | $118,100 | $56.78 | 6,880 |
| Wyoming | $115,170 | $55.37 | 1,510 |
| Iowa | $114,890 | $55.24 | 9,040 |
| Ohio | $114,090 | $54.85 | 44,790 |
| Kansas | $113,420 | $54.53 | 13,580 |
| Nebraska | $110,900 | $53.32 | 7,260 |
| Kentucky | $109,010 | $52.41 | 7,660 |
| Indiana | $105,920 | $50.92 | 14,130 |
| North Dakota | $105,600 | $50.77 | 1,450 |
| Arkansas | $104,490 | $50.23 | 6,050 |
| Louisiana | $102,800 | $49.42 | 4,080 |
| South Dakota | $96,310 | $46.30 | 2,380 |
| Mississippi | $95,330 | $45.83 | 1,880 |
| Puerto Rico | $79,380 | $38.17 | 2,020 |
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).