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Senior software engineer/architect salary
Average senior software engineer/architect salary
$124,793
Understanding the Senior Software Engineer/Architect Salary
A Senior Software Engineer/Architect plays a crucial role in the development and architecture of software solutions. The average salary of $124,793 per year reflects the expertise required to excel in this role. Salaries can vary widely based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the industry of employment. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher pay compared to others.
In addition to base salary, many senior software engineers and architects receive benefits such as stock options, bonuses, and flexible working conditions. The highest paying industries include technology, finance, and healthcare, where the demand for skilled professionals continues to grow. Major cities known for offering competitive salaries include San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle.
Overall, pursuing a career as a Senior Software Engineer/Architect not only provides a lucrative salary but also the opportunity to work on innovative projects that can shape the future of technology.
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Where can a Senior Software Engineer/Architect earn more?
Average senior software engineer/architect salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior software engineers/architect are California, Washington, and Nevada. The lowest average senior software engineer/architect salary states are Arkansas, Kansas, and Alaska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior software engineers/architect
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $146,269 | $70.32 |
| 2 | California | $151,515 | $72.84 |
| 3 | Oregon | $136,122 | $65.44 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $138,636 | $66.65 |
| 5 | Nevada | $139,555 | $67.09 |
| 6 | New York | $133,187 | $64.03 |
| 7 | Arizona | $122,805 | $59.04 |
| 8 | Montana | $118,803 | $57.12 |
| 9 | Maine | $125,215 | $60.20 |
| 10 | South Carolina | $133,344 | $64.11 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $120,837 | $58.09 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $128,304 | $61.68 |
| 13 | Vermont | $117,649 | $56.56 |
| 14 | Idaho | $119,011 | $57.22 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $118,899 | $57.16 |
| 16 | Maryland | $118,988 | $57.21 |
| 17 | Florida | $122,474 | $58.88 |
| 18 | Texas | $115,343 | $55.45 |
| 19 | Utah | $114,642 | $55.12 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $116,573 | $56.04 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $116,449 | $55.99 |
| 22 | Virginia | $116,366 | $55.95 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $117,054 | $56.28 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $116,068 | $55.80 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $113,590 | $54.61 |
| 26 | Ohio | $114,772 | $55.18 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $112,866 | $54.26 |
| 28 | Michigan | $113,417 | $54.53 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $113,357 | $54.50 |
| 30 | Illinois | $113,069 | $54.36 |
| 31 | Georgia | $112,107 | $53.90 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $118,978 | $57.20 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $107,814 | $51.83 |
| 34 | Colorado | $110,812 | $53.27 |
| 35 | Indiana | $110,783 | $53.26 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $104,351 | $50.17 |
| 37 | Alabama | $108,422 | $52.13 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $103,263 | $49.65 |
| 39 | Missouri | $108,836 | $52.33 |
| 40 | Delaware | $103,452 | $49.74 |
| 41 | Iowa | $106,534 | $51.22 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $106,125 | $51.02 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $102,028 | $49.05 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $103,997 | $50.00 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $107,914 | $51.88 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $106,518 | $51.21 |
| 47 | Kansas | $99,539 | $47.86 |
| 48 | Alaska | $99,479 | $47.83 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $98,913 | $47.55 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $98,019 | $47.12 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $95,441 | $45.89 |
Highest paying cities for senior software engineers/architect
The highest-paying cities for senior software engineers/architect are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $158,828 | $76.36 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $147,398 | $70.86 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $138,647 | $66.66 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $133,444 | $64.16 |
| 5 | Boca Raton, FL | $123,196 | $59.23 |
| 6 | Scottsdale, AZ | $122,935 | $59.10 |
| 7 | Bowie, MD | $119,053 | $57.24 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $118,950 | $57.19 |
| 9 | Akron, OH | $116,072 | $55.80 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $115,722 | $55.64 |
| 11 | Lehi, UT | $114,662 | $55.13 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $114,262 | $54.93 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $113,340 | $54.49 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $113,309 | $54.48 |
| 15 | Colorado Springs, CO | $111,984 | $53.84 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $111,773 | $53.74 |
| 17 | Memphis, TN | $98,708 | $47.46 |
Senior software engineer/architect salary details
A senior software engineer/architect's salary ranges from $93,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $166,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior software engineer/architect's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $166,000 | $13,833 | $80 |
| 75th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| Average | $124,793 | $10,399 | $60 |
| 25th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| 10th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
Highest paying senior software engineer/architect jobs
The highest paying types of senior software engineers/architect are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Architect | $104,687 | $8,724 | $50.33 | 266,541 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Systems Architect | $103,764 | $8,647 | $49.89 | 232,582 |
| 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 senior software engineers/architect now:
Which companies pay senior software engineers/architect the most?
Senior software engineer/architect salaries at eBay and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior software engineer/architect salary at companies like Bloomberg and The Walt Disney Company are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | eBay | $162,108 | $77.94 |
| 2 | Apple | $156,631 | $75.30 |
| 3 | Bloomberg | $153,105 | $73.61 |
| 4 | The Walt Disney Company | $147,685 | $71.00 |
| 5 | NVIDIA | $146,418 | $70.39 |
| 6 | Amazon | $145,541 | $69.97 |
| 7 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $145,457 | $69.93 |
| 8 | FedBid | $144,801 | $69.62 |
| 9 | BNY Mellon | $143,573 | $69.03 |
| 10 | Xtime Inc. | $141,807 | $68.18 |
| 11 | Slalom | $139,242 | $66.94 |
| 12 | ORION | $138,945 | $66.80 |
| 13 | J.P. Morgan | $137,713 | $66.21 |
| 14 | ServiceNow | $137,158 | $65.94 |
| 15 | Motion Recruitment | $134,717 | $64.77 |
| 16 | M.I.T. International, Inc. | $133,012 | $63.95 |
| 17 | Forever 21 | $132,976 | $63.93 |
| 18 | Robert Half | $132,762 | $63.83 |
| 19 | Lavazza USA | $132,593 | $63.75 |
| 20 | Aeris Communications | $132,021 | $63.47 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Software Engineer/Architect salary by industry
The average senior software engineer/architect salary varies across industries:
- The average senior software engineer/architect salary in the construction industry is $125,411, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior software engineer/architect salary in the finance industry is $122,023.
- Senior software engineers/architect in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $111,873, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior software engineers/architect
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $125,411 | $60.29 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $122,023 | $58.66 |
| 3 | Finance | $121,536 | $58.43 |
| 4 | Technology | $120,957 | $58.15 |
| 5 | Health Care | $119,088 | $57.25 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $111,873 | $53.79 |
High paying senior software engineer/architect jobs
Senior software engineer/architect salary trends
The average senior software engineer/architect salary has risen by $23,167 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior software engineer/architect earned $101,626 annually, but today, they earn $124,793 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior software engineers/architect over the last decade.
Compare senior software engineer/architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior software engineer/architect salary over time
Compare senior software engineer/architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior software engineer/architect salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $125,000 | $60.00 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $121,000 | $58.02 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $118,000 | $56.71 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $116,000 | $55.70 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $114,000 | $54.77 | +1.8% |
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