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Senior software engineer salary
Average senior software engineer salary
$114,494
Average Senior Software Engineer Salary
The average salary for a senior software engineer in the United States is approximately $114,494 per year, translating to around $55 per hour. This salary can vary significantly depending on several factors:
- Location: Salaries differ greatly across states, with tech hubs like California and New York often offering higher pay rates.
- Experience: Senior software engineers with more years in the field typically command higher salaries.
- Industry: Certain sectors, such as finance and healthcare, may offer more competitive salaries compared to others.
In addition to base salaries, many senior software engineers receive benefits such as bonuses, stock options, and flexible work arrangements, further enhancing total compensation. Understanding these dynamics can help professionals make informed career decisions and negotiate effectively.
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Where can a Senior Software Engineer earn more?
Senior software engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior software engineer salary by state
The average senior software engineer salary in California, Washington, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior software engineer salary states are Mississippi, Indiana, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior software engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $129,229 | $62.13 |
| 2 | California | $130,711 | $62.84 |
| 3 | Oregon | $111,336 | $53.53 |
| 4 | New York | $113,338 | $54.49 |
| 5 | Nevada | $108,412 | $52.12 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $100,283 | $48.21 |
| 7 | Arizona | $103,433 | $49.73 |
| 8 | Utah | $98,460 | $47.34 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $104,916 | $50.44 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $101,558 | $48.83 |
| 11 | Texas | $99,933 | $48.04 |
| 12 | Delaware | $101,638 | $48.86 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $99,269 | $47.73 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $99,051 | $47.62 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $105,903 | $50.91 |
| 16 | Idaho | $98,907 | $47.55 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $104,059 | $50.03 |
| 18 | Maryland | $101,266 | $48.69 |
| 19 | Virginia | $100,122 | $48.14 |
| 20 | Montana | $96,776 | $46.53 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,835 | $46.56 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $98,051 | $47.14 |
| 23 | Alaska | $100,545 | $48.34 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $99,535 | $47.85 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $92,151 | $44.30 |
| 26 | Georgia | $95,387 | $45.86 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $94,736 | $45.55 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $92,909 | $44.67 |
| 29 | Ohio | $93,770 | $45.08 |
| 30 | Michigan | $94,074 | $45.23 |
| 31 | Illinois | $95,102 | $45.72 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $95,360 | $45.85 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $91,314 | $43.90 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,030 | $44.73 |
| 35 | Maine | $93,327 | $44.87 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $92,989 | $44.71 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $90,392 | $43.46 |
| 38 | Alabama | $90,667 | $43.59 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $89,822 | $43.18 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $90,351 | $43.44 |
| 41 | Iowa | $90,357 | $43.44 |
| 42 | Florida | $92,638 | $44.54 |
| 43 | Indiana | $88,800 | $42.69 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $91,038 | $43.77 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $89,818 | $43.18 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $88,464 | $42.53 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $89,369 | $42.97 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $89,926 | $43.23 |
| 49 | Kansas | $87,929 | $42.27 |
| 50 | Missouri | $88,778 | $42.68 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $87,980 | $42.30 |
Highest paying cities for senior software engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior software engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $139,625 | $67.13 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $130,235 | $62.61 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $113,574 | $54.60 |
| 4 | Redmond, OR | $109,461 | $52.63 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $105,920 | $50.92 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $104,879 | $50.42 |
| 7 | Washington, NJ | $104,131 | $50.06 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $103,593 | $49.80 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $101,591 | $48.84 |
| 10 | McLean, VA | $100,591 | $48.36 |
| 11 | Jacksonville, NC | $100,412 | $48.27 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $99,501 | $47.84 |
| 13 | Alpharetta, GA | $95,420 | $45.88 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $95,295 | $45.81 |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | $94,769 | $45.56 |
| 16 | Washington, MI | $94,344 | $45.36 |
| 17 | Tampa, FL | $94,279 | $45.33 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $93,485 | $44.94 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $93,035 | $44.73 |
| 20 | Jacksonville, AR | $91,428 | $43.96 |
Senior Software Engineers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Senior software engineer salary details
A senior software engineer's salary ranges from $86,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior software engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| Average | $114,494 | $9,541 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 10th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
Highest paying senior software engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior software engineers are software engineering manager, staff software engineer, and principal software engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Lead Software Developer | $115,072 | $9,589 | $55.32 | 309,029 |
| Software Engineering Manager | $140,929 | $11,744 | $67.75 | 262,296 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Software Systems Engineer | $107,102 | $8,925 | $51.49 | 370,518 |
Top companies hiring senior software engineers now:
Which companies pay senior software engineers the most?
Senior software engineer salaries at The Citadel and Legalmatch.com are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior software engineer salary at companies like Netflix and Brex are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Citadel | $188,959 | $90.85 |
| 2 | Legalmatch.com | $188,642 | $90.69 |
| 3 | Netflix | $181,690 | $87.35 |
| 4 | Brex | $180,270 | $86.67 |
| 5 | Credit Karma | $180,206 | $86.64 |
| 6 | Roku | $179,839 | $86.46 |
| 7 | Lifetime | $179,757 | $86.42 |
| 8 | Meta | $179,739 | $86.41 |
| 9 | Airbnb | $179,584 | $86.34 |
| 10 | Mixpanel | $179,012 | $86.06 |
| 11 | Upstart Network | $175,204 | $84.23 |
| 12 | Flexport | $174,794 | $84.04 |
| 13 | Squarespace | $172,553 | $82.96 |
| 14 | Discovery | $172,179 | $82.78 |
| 15 | Wealthfront | $171,665 | $82.53 |
| 16 | Lyft | $171,056 | $82.24 |
| 17 | Coinbase | $170,892 | $82.16 |
| 18 | Penske Media | $170,786 | $82.11 |
| 19 | Ropes & Gray | $170,636 | $82.04 |
| 20 | BitGo | $169,907 | $81.69 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Software Engineer salary by industry
The average senior software engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior software engineer salary in the retail industry is $128,740, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior software engineer salary in the finance industry is $118,712.
- Senior software engineers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $111,736, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior software engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $128,740 | $61.89 |
| 2 | Finance | $118,712 | $57.07 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $116,482 | $56.00 |
| 4 | Technology | $114,893 | $55.24 |
| 5 | Health Care | $112,884 | $54.27 |
| 6 | Professional | $111,736 | $53.72 |
High paying senior software engineer jobs
Senior software engineer salary trends
The average senior software engineer salary has risen by $21,255 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior software engineer earned $93,239 annually, but today, they earn $114,494 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior software engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior software engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior software engineer salary over time
Compare senior software engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior software engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $114,000 | $55.05 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $111,000 | $53.23 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $108,000 | $52.03 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $106,000 | $51.11 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $105,000 | $50.25 | +1.8% |
Recently added senior software engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genentech | Senior Software Engineer | South San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $142,500 |
| Jeppesen | Devsecops Software Engineer (Experienced/Senior) | El Segundo, CA | 06/30/2025 | $130,900 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Software Engineer (Experienced, Senior) | Hazelwood, MO | 06/30/2025 | $127,500 |
| Parsons | Senior Software Developer | Fort Belvoir, VA | 06/30/2025 | $144,800 |
| Northwestern Mutual | SR. Software Engineer | Milwaukee, WI | 06/30/2025 | $102,060 |
| Franklin Templeton | Senior Software Developer (C# and SQL)-Canvas/Front End | Stamford, CT | 06/30/2025 | $128,000 |
| Ntrs | SR Lead, SW ENG | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $114,500 |
| Hyperiongrp | Senior Software Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/30/2025 | $130,000 |
| Contact Government Services | SR. Full Stack Developer | Washington, DC | 06/30/2025 | $172,848 |
| Contact Government Services | SR. Drupal Developer | Fargo, ND | 06/30/2025 | $141,024 |
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