Turnover Cost: Software Developers, California (2025)

Verified cost of employee turnover for the selected Software Developers population in California, United States, drawn from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025-may).

Estimated cost of turnover

Software Developers · California, United States

$93,400 – $373,500estimated range, 2025-may

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Estimated from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics annual mean wage of $186,770 for Software Developers in California, United States (2025-may), multiplied by the 0.5×–2× cost of replacing an employee reported by SHRM and Gallup. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the wage, not the cost — the range is a planning estimate, and a real figure depends on time-to-fill, ramp-up, and lost productivity.

How Software Developers compares in California, United States

Annual mean wage — the input to the estimate above, compared directly rather than as a derived range. See all 33 industries.

  • Computer and Information Systems Managers
  • Software Developers
  • Database Architects
  • Home Health and Personal Care Aides

What this means

At $186,770, California's annual mean wage for Software Developers is among the highest in the country according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Replacing one costs an estimated $93,400 to $373,500 by the 50% to 200% replacement-cost model from SHRM. Timing matters: the longer your hire stays open, the steeper the actual hit.

Estimated cost of turnover: Software Developers vs regional average

Estimated cost of turnover in California, United States, 2025-may. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
MeasureSoftware DevelopersRegional average
Estimated cost of turnover$186,770$104,696

Related benchmarks

BenchmarkAccountants and Auditors, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $103,760 (2025-may).BenchmarkAssemblers and Fabricators, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $51,060 (2025-may).BenchmarkAutomotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $65,470 (2025-may).BenchmarkComputer Network Architects, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $161,350 (2025-may).