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Networking/software engineer salary
Average networking/software engineer salary
$116,190
Average Networking/Software Engineer Salary
The average Networking/Software Engineer salary is $116,190 annually. Factors such as education, experience, and location significantly influence this figure. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced professionals often earn considerably more.
Salary Variations by State
Networking/Software Engineers in certain states can command higher salaries. For example, states like California and New York offer competitive pay due to higher living costs and demand for tech talent. Check our comprehensive list of average salaries by state.
Highest Paying Cities
Major cities tend to offer the highest salaries for this role. Cities like San Francisco and Seattle are recognized for their lucrative opportunities in tech. Consider relocating for better pay if you're seeking to advance your career.
Opportunities for Advancement
Continuing education and obtaining certifications can enhance your salary potential. Networking and engaging with industry professionals can lead to job openings and advancements. Explore available positions on Zippia to find your next opportunity.
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Where can a Networking/Software Engineer earn more?
Average networking/software engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for networking/software engineers are Washington, Idaho, and California. The lowest average networking/software engineer salary states are Florida, Maine, and Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for networking/software engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $143,205 | $68.85 |
| 2 | Utah | $121,110 | $58.23 |
| 3 | California | $130,232 | $62.61 |
| 4 | Idaho | $137,247 | $65.98 |
| 5 | Oregon | $119,447 | $57.43 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $121,721 | $58.52 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $118,982 | $57.20 |
| 8 | Alabama | $116,081 | $55.81 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $107,753 | $51.80 |
| 10 | Arizona | $112,702 | $54.18 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $117,317 | $56.40 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $118,973 | $57.20 |
| 13 | Nevada | $115,308 | $55.44 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $108,051 | $51.95 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $107,668 | $51.76 |
| 16 | Delaware | $107,971 | $51.91 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $106,479 | $51.19 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $101,821 | $48.95 |
| 19 | Texas | $102,255 | $49.16 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $103,695 | $49.85 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $103,358 | $49.69 |
| 22 | Maryland | $101,836 | $48.96 |
| 23 | Georgia | $102,365 | $49.21 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $108,636 | $52.23 |
| 25 | New York | $101,782 | $48.93 |
| 26 | Illinois | $101,282 | $48.69 |
| 27 | Vermont | $98,623 | $47.41 |
| 28 | Alaska | $103,250 | $49.64 |
| 29 | Colorado | $96,482 | $46.39 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $100,974 | $48.55 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $99,018 | $47.60 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $99,623 | $47.90 |
| 33 | Montana | $97,043 | $46.66 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $95,839 | $46.08 |
| 35 | Iowa | $97,621 | $46.93 |
| 36 | Missouri | $95,825 | $46.07 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $95,869 | $46.09 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $94,037 | $45.21 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $96,690 | $46.49 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $97,652 | $46.95 |
| 41 | Connecticut | $95,275 | $45.81 |
| 42 | Virginia | $90,272 | $43.40 |
| 43 | Kansas | $94,803 | $45.58 |
| 44 | Ohio | $93,088 | $44.75 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $93,366 | $44.89 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $95,080 | $45.71 |
| 47 | Michigan | $88,428 | $42.51 |
| 48 | Florida | $92,310 | $44.38 |
| 49 | Indiana | $86,569 | $41.62 |
| 50 | Maine | $91,765 | $44.12 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $86,150 | $41.42 |
Highest paying cities for networking/software engineers
The highest-paying cities for networking/software engineers are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Middletown, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $143,910 | $69.19 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $139,483 | $67.06 |
| 3 | Middletown, NJ | $121,968 | $58.64 |
| 4 | Hillsboro, OR | $119,549 | $57.48 |
| 5 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $119,106 | $57.26 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $117,936 | $56.70 |
| 7 | Tempe, AZ | $112,722 | $54.19 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $108,204 | $52.02 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $104,452 | $50.22 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $103,792 | $49.90 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $102,304 | $49.18 |
| 12 | Hicksville, NY | $101,994 | $49.04 |
| 13 | Rockville, MD | $101,541 | $48.82 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $101,397 | $48.75 |
| 15 | Broomfield, CO | $96,542 | $46.41 |
| 16 | Norwalk, CT | $95,322 | $45.83 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $93,951 | $45.17 |
| 18 | Farmington Hills, MI | $88,447 | $42.52 |
Networking/software engineer salary details
A networking/software engineer's salary ranges from $88,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $152,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a networking/software engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $152,000 | $12,667 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $134,000 | $11,167 | $64 |
| Average | $116,190 | $9,683 | $56 |
| 25th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
Highest paying networking/software engineer jobs
The highest paying types of networking/software engineers are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Software Analyst | $78,400 | $6,533 | $37.69 | 274,053 |
| Systems Engineer | $82,834 | $6,903 | $39.82 | 145,936 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Software Systems Engineer | $107,102 | $8,925 | $51.49 | 370,518 |
| Software Quality Engineer | $99,902 | $8,325 | $48.03 | 279,437 |
Top companies hiring networking/software engineers now:
Which companies pay networking/software engineers the most?
Networking/software engineer salaries at Meta and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average networking/software engineer salary at companies like ByteDance and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $162,321 | $78.04 |
| 2 | Apple | $149,328 | $71.79 |
| 3 | ByteDance | $148,104 | $71.20 |
| 4 | $147,471 | $70.90 | |
| 5 | Sony Interactive Entertainment America | $138,009 | $66.35 |
| 6 | Atlassian | $136,524 | $65.64 |
| 7 | Zoox | $134,900 | $64.86 |
| 8 | Warner Bros. | $134,830 | $64.82 |
| 9 | NVIDIA | $134,752 | $64.78 |
| 10 | Twilio | $134,097 | $64.47 |
| 11 | Ãœber | $133,394 | $64.13 |
| 12 | Fungible | $133,014 | $63.95 |
| 13 | Panasonic Avionics | $132,304 | $63.61 |
| 14 | Cisco | $131,086 | $63.02 |
| 15 | Activision Blizzard | $130,751 | $62.86 |
| 16 | Amazon | $130,254 | $62.62 |
| 17 | Applied Materials | $129,669 | $62.34 |
| 18 | Datadog | $129,380 | $62.20 |
| 19 | Juniper Networks | $127,636 | $61.36 |
| 20 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $127,527 | $61.31 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Networking/Software Engineer salary by industry
The average networking/software engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average networking/software engineer salary in the start-up industry is $146,936, the highest of any industry.
- The average networking/software engineer salary in the finance industry is $118,100.
- Networking/software engineers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $109,708, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for networking/software engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $146,936 | $70.64 |
| 2 | Media | $118,100 | $56.78 |
| 3 | Automotive | $111,224 | $53.47 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $110,035 | $52.90 |
| 5 | Technology | $109,708 | $52.74 |
High paying networking/software engineer jobs
Networking/software engineer salary trends
The average networking/software engineer salary has risen by $21,202 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average networking/software engineer earned $94,988 annually, but today, they earn $116,190 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for networking/software engineers over the last decade.
Compare networking/software engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average networking/software engineer salary over time
Compare networking/software engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Networking/software engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $116,000 | $55.86 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $112,000 | $54.02 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $52.80 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $109,000 | $52.19 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $107,000 | $51.28 | +2.4% |
Recently added networking/software engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer-X Networking | Palo Alto, CA | 06/29/2025 | $78,000 | |
| Rocket Lab | Senior Network Software Engineer I | Littleton, CO | 06/29/2025 | $130,000 |
| Spacex | Software Engineer, Starlink Network | Redmond, WA | 06/26/2025 | $140,000 |
| Solomon Page | Senior Network Software Engineer (SDN) | Seattle, WA | 06/24/2025 | $90,000 |
| Leidos | Network Software Engineer (Omt3) | Sierra Vista, AZ | 06/21/2025 | $72,150 |
| Search | Computer Network Operations (CNO) Software Engineer | Herndon, VA | 06/18/2025 | $134,400 |
| Zoox | Software Engineer-Road Network Tools | Foster City, CA | 06/18/2025 | $147,000 |
| Ccg Business Solutions | Senior Networking Software Engineer | Falls Church, VA | 06/10/2025 | $145,855 |
| Ripplematch | Palo Alto Networks-Software Engineer-Bachelors, Application VIA Ripplematch | Santa Clara, CA | 06/09/2025 | $120,000 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | EFA Network Software Engineer, EFA Software Team | Seattle, WA | 05/28/2025 | $129,300 |
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