Software engineer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level software engineer earnings begin at:

$85.62 per hour

$178,080 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level software engineer earnings begin at:

$76.15 per hour

$158,390 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level software engineer earnings begin at:

$60.84 per hour

$126,550 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level software engineer earnings begin at:

$47.40 per hour

$98,590 per year

10th percentile

Starting level software engineer earnings begin at:

$37.38 per hour

$77,750 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Software engineer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Alaska $98,030
South Dakota $96,310
Mississippi $95,330
Puerto Rico $46,540
California $174,410
Washington $166,540
New York $166,180
Massachusetts $165,210
Oregon $142,720
New Hampshire $139,720
Maryland $138,680
Colorado $138,390
District of Columbia $136,880
Virginia $136,460
New Jersey $135,940
North Carolina $134,710
Connecticut $134,120
Delaware $133,020
Texas $132,150
Illinois $132,110
Idaho $131,590
Georgia $131,010
Florida $130,980
Rhode Island $130,590
Minnesota $130,050
Arizona $129,690
South Carolina $129,450
Nevada $128,810
Utah $128,810
Pennsylvania $126,550
Missouri $126,120
Michigan $125,570
Vermont $125,280
New Mexico $124,520
Hawaii $124,040
Maine $123,120
Wisconsin $122,660
Alabama $122,540
Tennessee $122,430
Montana $121,990
West Virginia $121,000
Oklahoma $118,100
Wyoming $115,170
Iowa $114,890
Ohio $114,090
Kansas $113,420
Nebraska $110,900
Kentucky $109,010
Indiana $105,920
North Dakota $105,600
Arkansas $104,490
Louisiana $102,800

How much does a Software Engineer earn?

A software engineer’s average salary, $99,530, is higher than most other technology occupations. For example, a software engineer makes thousands more than computer systems analysts, who made an average salary of $87,320 in 2014, and computer programmers, who made about $82,690. However, software engineers made about $36,750 less than IT managers, who brought home an average salary of $136,280.

According to GlassDoor.com, which gathered information from over 15,000 software engineers, the national average entry level software engineer salary is $55,000. Some companies start software engineers out below that number – as low as $50,000 – and some start software engineers out significantly higher than that, even as high as $91,000 annually.

You can expect your salary to increase as you gain experience with an organization. On average, software engineers max out on average at $124,000 nationwide, but many companies pay experienced software engineers much more than that.

Non-profit organizations, companies in early start-up phases, and very small companies tend to offer less in compensation and benefits, while companies like Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Amazon in growing tech hubs such as Seattle, San Francisco and LA tend to offer full benefits along with beyond competitive salaries. The highest paid in the software engineering profession work in the areas of San Jose, California, San Francisco, and Seattle. The Baltimore area also pays well, as does the city of Santa Rosa, California.

How do software engineer salaries compare to similar careers?

Software engineers earn about the same as related careers in Pennsylvania. On average, they make less than aerospace engineers but more than biomedical engineers.

Career Median Salary
Aerospace engineer salary $134K
Nuclear engineer salary $133K
Computer and information research scientist salary $130K
Software engineer salary $127K
Chemical engineer salary $117K
Product safety engineer salary $122K
Petroleum engineer salary $102K
Biomedical engineer salary $123K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)