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The average salary for a junior software engineer in the United States is currently $77,904 per year, translating to approximately $37 per hour. This salary is influenced by various factors including geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, junior software engineers in tech hubs like San Francisco and New York often command higher salaries compared to those in smaller markets.
States such as California, Washington, and New York consistently show higher average salaries for junior software engineers. For example, California's tech industry offers competitive compensation packages that often exceed the national average. Understanding these differences can help prospective employees gauge their earning potential and make informed career decisions.
Industries such as finance, healthcare technology, and information technology are known for offering attractive salaries to junior software engineers. These sectors value technical skills and often provide additional benefits such as bonuses and stock options, enhancing overall compensation.
In summary, a junior software engineer's salary is shaped by various factors, making it crucial for job seekers to research specific opportunities. By understanding the salary landscape, candidates can better position themselves for successful negotiations and career advancement.
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The average junior software engineer salary in Connecticut, California, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average junior software engineer salary states are Mississippi, Utah, and Kansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $88,392 | $42.50 |
| 2 | Washington | $88,623 | $42.61 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $92,573 | $44.51 |
| 4 | California | $90,134 | $43.33 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $77,939 | $37.47 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $86,551 | $41.61 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $86,374 | $41.53 |
| 8 | Maine | $79,314 | $38.13 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $78,597 | $37.79 |
| 10 | New York | $84,330 | $40.54 |
| 11 | Oregon | $77,432 | $37.23 |
| 12 | Virginia | $77,731 | $37.37 |
| 13 | Nevada | $79,588 | $38.26 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $75,899 | $36.49 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $77,019 | $37.03 |
| 16 | Arizona | $74,788 | $35.96 |
| 17 | Texas | $74,196 | $35.67 |
| 18 | Michigan | $72,302 | $34.76 |
| 19 | Maryland | $75,784 | $36.43 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $75,162 | $36.14 |
| 21 | Montana | $72,069 | $34.65 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $71,564 | $34.41 |
| 23 | Indiana | $70,644 | $33.96 |
| 24 | Idaho | $70,147 | $33.72 |
| 25 | Vermont | $69,972 | $33.64 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $71,302 | $34.28 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $71,208 | $34.23 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $71,671 | $34.46 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $72,884 | $35.04 |
| 30 | Illinois | $70,733 | $34.01 |
| 31 | Georgia | $70,197 | $33.75 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $69,770 | $33.54 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $68,303 | $32.84 |
| 34 | Colorado | $67,941 | $32.66 |
| 35 | Ohio | $68,183 | $32.78 |
| 36 | Alabama | $66,930 | $32.18 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $65,156 | $31.32 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $68,791 | $33.07 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $66,515 | $31.98 |
| 40 | Utah | $64,957 | $31.23 |
| 41 | Iowa | $66,931 | $32.18 |
| 42 | Florida | $67,772 | $32.58 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $66,594 | $32.02 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $65,493 | $31.49 |
| 45 | Kansas | $63,164 | $30.37 |
| 46 | Missouri | $65,770 | $31.62 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $65,018 | $31.26 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $65,191 | $31.34 |
| 49 | Alaska | $61,050 | $29.35 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $59,237 | $28.48 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $59,659 | $28.68 |
The highest-paying cities for junior software engineers are San Francisco, CA, Greenwich, CT, and Bellevue, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $97,473 | $46.86 |
| 2 | Greenwich, CT | $92,686 | $44.56 |
| 3 | Bellevue, WA | $89,623 | $43.09 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $88,446 | $42.52 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $86,370 | $41.52 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $84,617 | $40.68 |
| 7 | Quincy, MA | $78,665 | $37.82 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $78,502 | $37.74 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $77,571 | $37.29 |
| 10 | Annapolis, MD | $75,962 | $36.52 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $75,084 | $36.10 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $72,470 | $34.84 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $71,019 | $34.14 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $70,257 | $33.78 |
| 15 | Colorado Springs, CO | $68,200 | $32.79 |
| 16 | Huntsville, AL | $67,180 | $32.30 |
| 17 | Dayton, OH | $66,966 | $32.20 |
| 18 | Bellevue, NE | $65,673 | $31.57 |
A junior software engineer's salary ranges from $59,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| Average | $77,904 | $6,492 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
The highest paying types of junior software engineers are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Analyst | $78,400 | $6,533 | $37.69 | 274,053 |
| Software Programmer | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34.43 | 253,235 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Data Engineer | $109,675 | $9,140 | $52.73 | 303,105 |
| Software Engineering Internship | $47,164 | $3,930 | $22.67 | 301,105 |
| Software Development Engineer | $109,147 | $9,096 | $52.47 | 356,971 |
Top companies hiring junior software engineers now:
Junior software engineer salaries at Apple and Airbnb are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior software engineer salary at companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Square are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $122,756 | $59.02 |
| 2 | Airbnb | $122,128 | $58.72 |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $114,217 | $54.91 |
| 4 | Square | $113,480 | $54.56 |
| 5 | RichRelevance | $107,912 | $51.88 |
| 6 | Sephora | $102,251 | $49.16 |
| 7 | State Street | $99,796 | $47.98 |
| 8 | Daysmart | $98,516 | $47.36 |
| 9 | Sony Interactive Entertainment America | $97,725 | $46.98 |
| 10 | Grubhub | $96,164 | $46.23 |
| 11 | General Motors | $95,874 | $46.09 |
| 12 | Z Capital Group | $93,847 | $45.12 |
| 13 | OpenEye - The Cloud Video Platform | $92,519 | $44.48 |
| 14 | Zscaler | $91,603 | $44.04 |
| 15 | Über | $90,770 | $43.64 |
| 16 | Grandbridge Real Estate Capital | $90,467 | $43.49 |
| 17 | Rubicon Project | $89,063 | $42.82 |
| 18 | Agility | $88,371 | $42.49 |
| 19 | Yellowpages | $88,243 | $42.42 |
| 20 | Medicomp | $88,173 | $42.39 |
The average junior software engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $85,019 | $40.87 |
| 2 | Internet | $83,077 | $39.94 |
| 3 | Start-up | $80,525 | $38.71 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $78,712 | $37.84 |
| 5 | Technology | $77,943 | $37.47 |
| 6 | Professional | $76,576 | $36.82 |
The average junior software engineer salary has risen by $14,463 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior software engineer earned $63,441 annually, but today, they earn $77,904 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for junior software engineers over the last decade.
Compare junior software engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare junior software engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $77,900 | $37.45 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $75,300 | $36.22 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $73,600 | $35.40 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $72,300 | $34.77 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $71,100 | $34.19 | +1.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navex Global | Junior Software Engineer | Charlotte, NC | 06/30/2025 | $33,288 |
| Perspecta | Junior Software Engineer-Clearance Required | Aurora, CO | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Openeye | Junior Software Engineer | Ione, WA | 06/28/2025 | $70,000 |
| Parsons Technical Services | Junior Software Engineer-Ts/Sci W/Poly | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $72,900 |
| Maxar Technologies Ltd. | Junior Front-End Software Engineer | Herndon, VA | 06/26/2025 | $110,000 |
| Bayside Solutions | JR. Backend Software Engineer, Block Storage | Seattle, WA | 06/26/2025 | $104,000 |
| Intelligenesis LLC | Software Engineer Junior | Annapolis, MD | 06/26/2025 | $148,790 |
| Parsons Corporation | Junior Software Engineer-Ts/Sci W/Poly | Denver, CO | 06/25/2025 | $72,900 |
| Smartronix | Junior Software Engineer (Ts/Sci CI Poly) (4405) | Chantilly, VA | 06/25/2025 | $110,000 |
| Parsons Commercial Technology Group Inc. | Junior Software Engineer-Ts/Sci W/Poly | Denver, CO | 06/25/2025 | $72,900 |
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