Custom Software & Automation Developers: By the Numbers
199,768 establishments, 1,062,046 employees and $213.6 billion in annual payroll. Most of them run on software that records how the work gets done. Here's the industry, state by state.
Establishments
Custom Software & Automation Developers worksites in the U.S.
Employees
About 5 per location on average
Average annual pay
$213.6 billion in total payroll
Job growth, 1 year
Year-over-year employment change
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), 2025 annual averages, private ownership. Establishment counts are worksites, not companies. Pulled November 4, 2026. bls.gov/cew
Most jobs
- California: 185,555 employees
- Texas: 131,202 employees
- New York: 67,884 employees
- Florida: 62,381 employees
- Virginia: 50,382 employees
Fastest growing
- South Dakota: +11.0% jobs in a year
- Delaware: +9.1% jobs in a year
- Mississippi: +8.4% jobs in a year
- Kansas: +7.2% jobs in a year
- Nevada: +3.9% jobs in a year
Most concentrated
- Colorado: 2.20× the national share
- Utah: 1.95× the national share
- Virginia: 1.78× the national share
- California: 1.49× the national share
- Massachusetts: 1.47× the national share
All States, Ranked by Employment
| State | Establishments | Employees | Avg. pay | 1-yr jobs | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 19,907 | 185,555 | $343,286 | -3.6% | 1.49 |
| Texas | 16,105 | 131,202 | $177,876 | -0.8% | 1.36 |
| New York | 9,071 | 67,884 | $252,429 | +2.9% | 1.02 |
| Florida | 12,160 | 62,381 | $159,190 | -0.1% | 0.92 |
| Virginia | 8,115 | 50,382 | $162,323 | -1.2% | 1.78 |
| Colorado | 10,176 | 43,420 | $182,229 | +2.1% | 2.20 |
| Illinois | 7,436 | 39,333 | $163,670 | -2.7% | 0.95 |
| Massachusetts | 6,203 | 36,356 | $237,637 | -5.1% | 1.47 |
| Ohio | 7,540 | 35,094 | $133,369 | -2.7% | 0.93 |
| Georgia | 6,571 | 33,634 | $145,347 | -3.2% | 1.01 |
| New Jersey | 4,879 | 33,588 | $158,312 | 0.0% | 1.15 |
| North Carolina | 6,005 | 33,467 | $142,109 | -2.4% | 0.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,269 | 28,844 | $159,505 | -2.9% | 0.70 |
| Maryland | 4,445 | 23,955 | $166,828 | -6.7% | 1.28 |
| Utah | 3,497 | 23,207 | $150,089 | -1.9% | 1.95 |
| Washington | 1,824 | 20,963 | $311,336 | +1.1% | 0.85 |
| Michigan | 5,046 | 18,869 | $135,891 | -0.9% | 0.63 |
| Arizona | 5,116 | 16,703 | $158,462 | -4.3% | 0.76 |
| Minnesota | 3,870 | 15,472 | $157,973 | -4.6% | 0.77 |
| Indiana | 3,762 | 14,663 | $136,799 | -2.0% | 0.67 |
| Wisconsin | 3,581 | 12,476 | $135,242 | -1.9% | 0.62 |
| Missouri | 3,369 | 11,159 | $130,231 | -0.9% | 0.56 |
| South Carolina | 3,648 | 9,585 | $128,339 | +2.0% | 0.61 |
| Tennessee | 2,302 | 9,306 | $137,877 | -3.7% | 0.42 |
| Oregon | 2,667 | 8,341 | $168,496 | +3.2% | 0.62 |
| Kansas | 1,625 | 7,141 | $123,243 | +7.2% | 0.73 |
| Alabama | 1,478 | 6,764 | $117,579 | -3.5% | 0.47 |
| Connecticut | 2,394 | 6,666 | $162,685 | -2.0% | 0.58 |
| Iowa | 1,580 | 6,127 | $127,050 | -6.3% | 0.58 |
| Nebraska | 1,729 | 5,821 | $125,037 | +2.2% | 0.84 |
| District of Columbia | 1,678 | 5,598 | $177,931 | -9.7% | 1.11 |
| Louisiana | 1,721 | 5,596 | $94,394 | -0.4% | 0.43 |
| Kentucky | 2,396 | 5,063 | $110,068 | -3.8% | 0.37 |
| New Hampshire | 2,456 | 4,985 | $205,770 | -1.8% | 1.06 |
| Nevada | 1,396 | 4,740 | $183,873 | +3.9% | 0.44 |
| Oklahoma | 1,202 | 3,961 | $109,396 | -3.6% | 0.34 |
| Rhode Island | 1,720 | 3,801 | $139,024 | +0.4% | 1.12 |
| Arkansas | 1,985 | 3,762 | $120,210 | -7.9% | 0.42 |
| Idaho | 1,934 | 3,673 | $141,143 | -2.7% | 0.62 |
| Maine | 1,420 | 3,337 | $154,376 | -4.5% | 0.75 |
| Montana | 1,682 | 3,054 | $202,606 | -7.2% | 0.87 |
| Mississippi | 1,185 | 2,616 | $98,809 | +8.4% | 0.33 |
| Vermont | 1,146 | 2,436 | $157,212 | -3.7% | 1.16 |
| Delaware | 1,708 | 2,359 | $134,524 | +9.1% | 0.72 |
| West Virginia | 939 | 2,172 | $110,005 | -0.1% | 0.46 |
| New Mexico | 720 | 1,779 | $126,435 | -8.1% | 0.30 |
| South Dakota | 597 | 1,428 | $121,074 | +11.0% | 0.45 |
| North Dakota | 301 | 1,116 | $108,863 | -9.3% | 0.38 |
| Hawaii | 537 | 1,019 | $172,880 | -4.5% | 0.23 |
| Alaska | 248 | 644 | $123,942 | -1.5% | 0.28 |
| Wyoming | 428 | 550 | $175,393 | +0.7% | 0.29 |
Concentration = location quotient (1.00 = the industry's national share of jobs).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), 2025 annual averages, private ownership. Establishment counts are worksites, not companies. Pulled November 4, 2026. bls.gov/cew
What This Means for Your Data
Buyers value data that is deep, large and fresh. An industry with 1,062,046 people working in software every day produces exactly that: years of operating history that the public internet doesn't have. Established companies (roughly 20+ staff, 2+ years, software every day) fit best today.
MLM Data never asks for personal data. See what that data looks like, or text Lexi for a free appraisal.
Custom Software & Automation Developers: Data FAQ
How many custom software & automation developers are there in the U.S.?
About 199,768 private custom software & automation developers establishments employed 1,062,046 people in 2025 (BLS QCEW annual average).
Which state has the most custom software & automation developers jobs?
California leads with 185,555 employees across 19,907 establishments (2025, BLS QCEW).
What is the average pay in custom software & automation developers?
The average annual pay was $201,140 in 2025, according to BLS QCEW.
Is custom software & automation developers business data valuable to AI companies?
It can be. With about 1,062,046 people logging daily work in software, established custom software & automation developers create years of operating records. MLM Data helps established companies find out what their business data could be worth, free, by text with Lexi. Business data only, never personal data.
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