While the national tech scene often grabs headlines, Denver's software development industry is quietly outpacing the country with explosive 12.5% job growth in 2023, a younger and more educated workforce, and an average salary that proves this Rocky Mountain hub is a serious contender for top tech talent.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Denver metro area employed 28,450 software developers, a 12.5% increase from 2022
- Denver's software development workforce grew by 3,200 jobs between 2021 and 2023, outpacing national average by 8%
- 42% of Denver software developers hold bachelor's degrees in computer science, compared to 38% nationally
- Average software developer salary in Denver is $128,450 annually as of May 2023
- Senior software engineers in Denver earn median $162,300, 18% above national median
- Entry-level software dev salary in Denver: $85,670 average
- Number of software dev companies in Denver metro: 1,245 as of 2023
- Top software company by employees: DISH Network with 15,200 tech staff including 4,100 devs
- Startups founded in Denver software space: 342 new in 2023
- Denver software industry revenue: $12.4B in 2023, up 14%
- Software dev job postings in Denver increased 22% YoY Q4 2023
- Tech sector GDP contribution in Denver metro: 11.2%, led by software at 6.8%
- JavaScript usage in Denver software projects: 78.4% of devs
- Python adoption rate: 62.1% among Denver developers 2023
- Cloud platforms: AWS used by 71% of Denver software firms
Denver's software development industry grew rapidly in 2023, outpacing national averages in jobs and diversity.
Companies and Startups
- Number of software dev companies in Denver metro: 1,245 as of 2023
- Top software company by employees: DISH Network with 15,200 tech staff including 4,100 devs
- Startups founded in Denver software space: 342 new in 2023
- Ping Identity acquired by ForgeRock, major Denver software exit valued at $2.8B
- Number of unicorns in Denver software: 4, including Ibotta valued at $1B+
- Salesforce maintains 2,500 dev jobs in Denver office
- New Relic Denver office employs 450 software engineers
- 28% of Denver software companies are bootstrapped
- AppFolio, public software firm, HQ in Denver with 1,800 employees
- Fintech software startups: 156 in Denver metro
- Average age of Denver software companies: 8.7 years
- Google Cloud Denver hub supports 300 local software partners
- 412 B2B SaaS companies headquartered in Denver
- Oracle Denver campus: 1,200 software devs
- Healthtech software firms: 89 in Denver
- Edtech startups: 45 active in Denver software scene
- Average funding per Denver software startup: $4.2M Series A
- IBM Denver lab: 650 software specialists
- Proptech software companies: 67 in metro Denver
- 73% of Denver software cos have 10-50 employees
- Lockheed Martin Space software division in Denver: 2,100 devs
- E-commerce software startups: 112
- Denver software co failure rate: 19% in first 2 years, below national 25%
- AWS partner network: 180 Denver software firms certified
- MarTech software companies: 56 in Denver
Companies and Startups Interpretation
Denver's software scene is a robust and surprisingly durable ecosystem, boasting a diverse range from scrappy bootstrapped startups to massive corporate hubs, all of which contribute to a startup failure rate refreshingly below the national average.
Employment and Demographics
- In 2023, Denver metro area employed 28,450 software developers, a 12.5% increase from 2022
- Denver's software development workforce grew by 3,200 jobs between 2021 and 2023, outpacing national average by 8%
- 42% of Denver software developers hold bachelor's degrees in computer science, compared to 38% nationally
- Women represent 22.3% of software developers in Denver, up from 19.8% in 2020
- Average age of software developers in Denver is 34.7 years, with 65% under 40
- 18.5% of Denver software devs are Hispanic/Latino, higher than the US tech average of 9%
- Remote work adoption among Denver software developers stands at 37.2%, down from 52% in 2021
- 7,920 entry-level software developers (0-2 years exp) employed in Denver metro
- Denver ranks 15th in US for software developer concentration per capita at 145 per 10,000 workers
- 5,340 senior software engineers (10+ years) work in Denver
- 14.2% of Denver software devs have PhDs, above national average of 11%
- Black/African American software developers comprise 4.1% of Denver's workforce
- 62% of Denver software devs work for companies with 500+ employees
- Asian software developers make up 12.8% in Denver
- 2,150 software devs relocated to Denver in 2023 for jobs
- 28% of Denver software devs are self-employed or freelancers
- Entry-level software dev employment grew 15.4% YoY in Denver 2023
- 9,210 mid-level software devs (3-7 years) in Denver metro
- Veterans represent 3.2% of Denver software workforce
- 76% of Denver software devs have certifications like AWS or Azure
- LGBTQ+ individuals comprise 8.7% of Denver tech workforce
- 4,560 software devs in Denver work in fintech sector specifically
- Average tenure for software devs in Denver is 3.8 years per role
- 1,890 international software devs on H1B visas in Denver 2023
- Disability representation in Denver software workforce is 2.9%
- 11,340 software devs aged 25-34 in Denver, largest cohort
- 35% of Denver software devs have bootcamp training background
- Native American software devs: 1.2% of Denver total
- 6,780 software devs commute 30+ minutes daily in Denver
- Unionized software devs represent 1.8% in Denver
Employment and Demographics Interpretation
Denver's tech scene is booming with a younger, more educated, and increasingly diverse workforce, even if remote work is receding and everyone's still trying to figure out where to put all these new entry-level developers.
Growth and Expansion
- Denver software industry revenue: $12.4B in 2023, up 14%
- Software dev job postings in Denver increased 22% YoY Q4 2023
- Tech sector GDP contribution in Denver metro: 11.2%, led by software at 6.8%
- New office leases by software firms: 450,000 sq ft in 2023 Denver
- Venture capital into Denver software: $1.8B in 2023, 25% YoY growth
- Software exports from Colorado (Denver heavy): $2.1B annually
- Denver tech job growth projected 9.5% through 2030 for software roles
- Number of software accelerators/incubators in Denver: 12 active
- Cloud computing adoption growth: 31% of Denver firms in 2023
- M&A deals in Denver software: 42 in 2023, total $3.5B value
- Remote-hybrid model adoption: 68% of Denver software cos, up 15%
- Patent filings by Denver software firms: 1,240 in 2023
- Software sector multiplier effect on Denver economy: 2.8x jobs created
- Expansion of co-working spaces for devs: 22% sq ft increase Denver 2023
- AI software job demand growth: 28% in Denver 2023
- Denver software cluster ranking: 17th US metro by Brookings
- Enterprise software revenue growth: 16.7% YoY Denver firms
- Talent pipeline from local unis: 4,200 CS grads annually metro-wide
- Cybersecurity software market growth: 24% CAGR Denver to 2028
- SaaS ARR growth average 42% for Denver startups 2023
- Denver software firms hiring rate: 2.1 open roles per 100 employees
- Fintech software growth: 19% employment increase 2023
- Open source contributions from Denver devs: 15,200 repos updated 2023
- Denver software GDP per capita: $18,450
- 5G-enabled software dev projects: 67 new in Denver 2023
Growth and Expansion Interpretation
Denver’s software scene is like a high-velocity startup itself—drinking venture capital, leasing offices, and multiplying jobs at a pace that suggests it's trying to debug the entire economy at once.
Salaries and Benefits
- Average software developer salary in Denver is $128,450 annually as of May 2023
- Senior software engineers in Denver earn median $162,300, 18% above national median
- Entry-level software dev salary in Denver: $85,670 average
- Software dev total compensation including bonuses averages $145,200 in Denver
- Front-end developers earn $119,800 median in Denver
- Back-end developers average $134,500 in Denver metro
- Full-stack devs salary: $131,200 average, with 10% bonus typical
- DevOps engineers earn $142,750 median in Denver
- Mobile app developers: $115,400 average salary Denver
- Average software dev bonus in Denver: $12,450, 9.7% of base
- Equity compensation for software devs at Denver startups averages $25,000 value
- Data engineers salary: $138,900 in Denver
- QA engineers earn $102,300 median Denver
- Software architects: $178,500 average in Denver
- 401k match average 4.2% of salary for Denver software roles
- Health insurance premiums covered 82% by employers for devs in Denver
- PTO averages 23 days/year for software devs in Denver
- Remote work stipend average $650/month for Denver devs
- Cloud engineers salary $140,200 in Denver 2023
- AI/ML engineers earn $155,400 median Denver
- Cybersecurity devs: $132,800 average salary
- Average salary growth for Denver devs: 6.8% YoY 2023
- Freelance software dev hourly rate: $68.50 in Denver
- Lead software engineer: $168,900 median
- Game developers salary $110,200 Denver average
- Average 2023 salary adjustment for inflation-adjusted Denver devs: 4.1%
- Embedded software engineers: $129,700 Denver
- Wellness benefits offered to 91% of Denver software firms
- Tuition reimbursement average $5,200/year for devs
- Denver software firms average 12.3% salary premium over national for mid-level
Salaries and Benefits Interpretation
Denver developers are getting paid handsomely to wrestle with their code, proving the altitude isn't the only thing that's high around here.
Technologies and Trends
- JavaScript usage in Denver software projects: 78.4% of devs
- Python adoption rate: 62.1% among Denver developers 2023
- Cloud platforms: AWS used by 71% of Denver software firms
- React.js frameworks: 54% primary frontend tech in Denver
- Docker containerization: 82% adoption in Denver dev teams
- Kubernetes orchestration: 47% of Denver firms using in prod
- Machine learning frameworks: TensorFlow 29%, PyTorch 26% in Denver
- Agile methodology: 91% of Denver software projects
- Microservices architecture: 65% adoption rate Denver 2023
- CI/CD pipeline usage: 88% of Denver devs daily
- NoSQL databases: MongoDB 42% preference in Denver
- Serverless computing: 34% experimenting in Denver firms
- Blockchain dev activity: 12% of Denver devs involved
- Low-code/no-code platforms: 28% adoption Denver software teams
- GraphQL API usage: 39% in Denver projects
- Rust language growth: 18% YoY adoption Denver devs
- IoT software projects: 22% of Denver firms engaged
- Progressive Web Apps: 41% deployment in Denver
- Edge computing: 25% pilots in Denver software industry
- DevSecOps integration: 56% mature practices Denver
- Vue.js usage: 22% frontend share Denver
- Big Data tools: Apache Spark 35% in Denver analytics
- AR/VR dev kits: Unity 19% preference Denver
- Event-driven architecture: 48% using Kafka in Denver
- Jamstack adoption: 31% for web apps Denver
- WebAssembly usage: 14% in performance-critical Denver apps
- Terraform IaC: 61% cloud infra mgmt Denver
Technologies and Trends Interpretation
Denver's developers are clearly building a future-proof stack by overwhelmingly committing to cloud-native, containerized, and agile-driven development, yet they wisely keep their options open with a diverse buffet of complementary languages and frameworks because nobody wants to put all their Rocky Mountain high hopes in one basket.
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