Selective high-frequency spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side effects and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In particular embodiments, a programmer has instructions that, in response to an input, select between a paresthesia-inducing therapy program that includes a frequency of less than 1,500 Hz, and a non-paresthesia-inducing therapy program that includes a frequency in range from 1.5 kHz to 50 kHz.