Software in California: licence, certification and what employers require (2026)

California does not license software developers: no licence. This page says what a software developer licensed or working in another state has to do to work in California, in the order to do it, and what goes wrong when the order is reversed.

How the transfer works

Nothing is licensed. For a remote role the only thing that changes with a move to California is where you are taxed and whether the employer is registered to employ people there; ask before you sign a lease.

What to have ready before you move

• A portfolio or repository
• References

Start the paperwork before you give notice. There is no California licence to wait for, so the only clock is the employer's.

What people get wrong

• Moving to a state where your remote employer is not registered for payroll; some will not allow it

Who hires software developers in California

Software developers in California are hired by software companies, every large employer's technology department, agencies and startups. The metros with the most of that work are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento. Employers who could not hire locally and have filed with the Department of Labor are on the California openings page.

For the money side: the median software developer in California earned $170,910 a year ($82 an hour) in May 2024 across 292,630 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and California has a progressive state income tax with a top rate of 13.3%. What that leaves you after tax is its own page.

Everything about California, on one page

The California page has the registries and boards, the income tax table, the programs that pay you to come and the openings filed this month. If you know which state you are leaving, the move pages compare the two directly. Creating a free Workmerica profile with your trade and your destination puts you in front of California employers hiring from out of state.