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Java Developer Salary and Equity in 2026

How much can a Java developer expect to make at US-based startups? The average estimated salary for Java developers is 114k per year, with a range from 60k to 205k. The salary range for Java developers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, and startup stage.

113.7k

Average Salary

4 years

Average years of experience

Hiring data hero image

Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Java developer is$113,708, which is 0.8% higher than the average startup salary of$112,833. Java developer salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, and industry.

Top of market

$187,708/yr

Range $175k - $205k

Average

$113,708/yr

Range $100k - $125k

Below Average

$69,500/yr

Range $60k - $100k


Top Locations

The highest average salary a Java developer can get in Los Angeles, that is $190,000. This pay is 67.1% higher than the average Java salary in startups, which is $113,708. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Los Angeles (avg $190,000 per year), San Diego (avg $175,000 per year), San Francisco Bay Area (avg $170,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.

Industries

The highest average salary a Java developer can get in Network Security, that is $256,000. This pay is 16.3% higher than the average Java salary, which is $220,100. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Network Security (avg $256,000 per year), Researchers (avg $256,000 per year), Distributed Systems (avg $256,000 per year).

Tech Stack

The top-paying developer skills of 2026 are:
  • 1. Celery

    $202k

  • 2. Clojure

    $195k

  • 3. OpenCV

    $192k

  • 4. Clojurescript

    $187.5k

  • 5. Symfony

    $175k

  • 6. Scipy

    $175k

  • 7. Heroku

    $165k

  • 8. Dart

    $160k

  • 9. Amazon ECS

    $155k

  • 10. DynamoDB

    $150k


Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Java developer can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $105,000. This pay is 6.9% lower than the average salary in startups, which is $112,833. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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