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Senior software designer salary
Average senior software designer salary
$104,553
Understanding Senior Software Designer Salaries
The Senior Software Designer position commands an average annual salary of $104,553, with variations influenced by factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and industry sector. Typically, those with more experience in high-demand areas can earn significantly more.
Salary Breakdown by State
Each state offers different salary averages, with states like California and New York often presenting higher pay scales. For instance, the highest paying cities for this role include San Francisco, New York, and Seattle, reflecting the competitive tech landscape in these metropolitan areas.
Job Opportunities and Growth
The demand for skilled software designers continues to grow, making this a strategic career choice. Companies are seeking talent that can create innovative software solutions, making experience in user interface and user experience design particularly valuable. As technology evolves, so do the responsibilities and salary potential of Senior Software Designers, providing ongoing opportunities for career advancement.
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Where can a Senior Software Designer earn more?
Average senior software designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior software designers are California, Washington, and Oregon. The lowest average senior software designer salary states are Indiana, Kansas, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior software designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $129,870 | $62.44 |
| 2 | California | $135,674 | $65.23 |
| 3 | Oregon | $119,656 | $57.53 |
| 4 | Idaho | $113,479 | $54.56 |
| 5 | Utah | $107,359 | $51.61 |
| 6 | Arizona | $112,873 | $54.27 |
| 7 | Nevada | $114,111 | $54.86 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $105,822 | $50.88 |
| 9 | Delaware | $103,807 | $49.91 |
| 10 | New York | $108,222 | $52.03 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $109,073 | $52.44 |
| 12 | Texas | $102,611 | $49.33 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $100,862 | $48.49 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $100,404 | $48.27 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $100,907 | $48.51 |
| 16 | Maine | $102,143 | $49.11 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $99,000 | $47.60 |
| 18 | Virginia | $102,394 | $49.23 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $102,453 | $49.26 |
| 20 | Michigan | $97,501 | $46.88 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $101,738 | $48.91 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $100,565 | $48.35 |
| 23 | Maryland | $98,880 | $47.54 |
| 24 | Vermont | $97,983 | $47.11 |
| 25 | Georgia | $97,207 | $46.73 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $97,019 | $46.64 |
| 27 | Illinois | $98,092 | $47.16 |
| 28 | Ohio | $96,040 | $46.17 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $96,008 | $46.16 |
| 30 | Montana | $95,823 | $46.07 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $96,778 | $46.53 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $95,750 | $46.03 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $95,393 | $45.86 |
| 34 | Colorado | $95,577 | $45.95 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $93,675 | $45.04 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $94,745 | $45.55 |
| 37 | Florida | $96,765 | $46.52 |
| 38 | Missouri | $95,273 | $45.80 |
| 39 | Alabama | $92,780 | $44.61 |
| 40 | Alaska | $97,009 | $46.64 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $92,649 | $44.54 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $93,895 | $45.14 |
| 43 | Indiana | $91,671 | $44.07 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $91,924 | $44.19 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $93,969 | $45.18 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $87,356 | $42.00 |
| 47 | Kansas | $90,938 | $43.72 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $92,297 | $44.37 |
| 49 | Iowa | $90,818 | $43.66 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $87,612 | $42.12 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $86,439 | $41.56 |
Highest paying cities for senior software designers
The highest-paying cities for senior software designers are Santa Clara, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | $143,374 | $68.93 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $130,479 | $62.73 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $108,351 | $52.09 |
| 4 | Salt Lake City, UT | $106,836 | $51.36 |
| 5 | Andover, MA | $105,633 | $50.79 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $103,128 | $49.58 |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | $102,092 | $49.08 |
| 8 | Chester, PA | $100,709 | $48.42 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $98,258 | $47.24 |
| 10 | Southfield, MI | $97,656 | $46.95 |
| 11 | Franklin, TN | $95,346 | $45.84 |
Senior software designer salary details
A senior software designer's salary ranges from $83,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $131,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior software designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| Average | $104,553 | $8,713 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| 10th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
Highest paying senior software designer jobs
The highest paying types of senior software designers are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Architect | $114,406 | $9,534 | $55.00 | 319,594 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Software Analyst | $78,400 | $6,533 | $37.69 | 274,053 |
| Software Engineer Lead | $125,565 | $10,464 | $60.37 | 342,462 |
| Software Development Engineer | $109,147 | $9,096 | $52.47 | 356,971 |
| Software Quality Engineer | $99,902 | $8,325 | $48.03 | 279,437 |
Top companies hiring senior software designers now:
Which companies pay senior software designers the most?
Senior software designer salaries at Amd and OtterBase are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior software designer salary at companies like Nokia and Delta Dental of Michigan are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amd | $127,274 | $61.19 |
| 2 | OtterBase | $110,949 | $53.34 |
| 3 | Nokia | $110,681 | $53.21 |
| 4 | Delta Dental of Michigan | $109,850 | $52.81 |
| 5 | General Electric | $107,309 | $51.59 |
| 6 | Jackson National Life Distributors LLC | $105,098 | $50.53 |
| 7 | Franklin Service | $104,622 | $50.30 |
| 8 | Alcatel Networks Inc | $103,117 | $49.58 |
| 9 | CoStar Group | $102,931 | $49.49 |
| 10 | Delta System & Software | $100,257 | $48.20 |
| 11 | Comau LLC | $98,934 | $47.56 |
| 12 | Jackson | $98,520 | $47.37 |
| 13 | Ernst & Young | $96,681 | $46.48 |
| 14 | Synechron | $95,358 | $45.85 |
| 15 | Schneider Electric Industrial Services | $91,971 | $44.22 |
| 16 | L3Harris | $83,652 | $40.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior software designer salary trends
The average senior software designer salary has risen by $19,410 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior software designer earned $85,143 annually, but today, they earn $104,553 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior software designers over the last decade.
Compare senior software designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior software designer salary over time
Compare senior software designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior software designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.27 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $101,000 | $48.61 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $98,800 | $47.51 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $97,100 | $46.67 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $95,400 | $45.89 | +1.8% |
Recently added senior software designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | SR. SDE, MLA Hardware/Software Co-Design, Annapurna Labs Machine Learning Acceleration | Cupertino, CA | 03/13/2025 | $143,300 |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | SR. Software System Designer | Austin, TX | 03/10/2025 | $108,826 |
| Alstom Transport USA Inc. | Senior Software Designer | Pittsburgh, PA | 02/18/2025 | $72,405 |
| Remote Front | SR. Software Design Quality Assurance EN. | Minneapolis, MN | 02/16/2025 | $141,900 |
| Delta Dental of Michigan, Inc. | Senior Software Designer/Implementer | Okemos, MI | 01/31/2025 | $130,000 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | Senior Software Designer | San Jose, CA | 01/28/2025 | $132,579 |
| Medtronic | SR. Software Design Quality Assurance Embedded | Los Angeles, CA | 01/25/2025 | $98,400 |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | SR. Software System Designer | Austin, TX | 12/20/2024 | $108,826 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | Senior Software Designer | San Jose, CA | 12/17/2024 | $132,579 |
| Delta Dental of Michigan, Inc. | Senior Software Designer/Implementer | Okemos, MI | 11/20/2024 | $130,000 |
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