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The average salary for a software engineer in the United States is $100,260 per year. This figure reflects a competitive earning potential, which can vary significantly based on geographic location and industry. For instance, software engineers in tech hubs like San Francisco and New York often earn above average due to the high demand for specialized skills.
States such as California, Washington, and New York consistently rank among the highest-paying for software engineers. In California, for example, the average salary can reach up to $120,000. Additionally, factors like years of experience play a crucial role in salary progression. Entry-level positions may start around $70,000, while seasoned professionals can command salaries exceeding $150,000 annually.
Software engineers find opportunities in various sectors, including finance, healthcare, and tech. The highest-paying industries often include finance and insurance, where salaries may be significantly higher than the national average. Companies are increasingly seeking software engineers with expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science, which can further enhance earning potential.
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The average software engineer salary in California, Washington, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average software engineer salary states are Kansas, Alabama, and Wyoming.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $112,080 | $53.88 |
| 2 | California | $115,477 | $55.52 |
| 3 | Oregon | $91,473 | $43.98 |
| 4 | New York | $92,846 | $44.64 |
| 5 | Nevada | $92,651 | $44.54 |
| 6 | Arizona | $83,602 | $40.19 |
| 7 | Delaware | $82,336 | $39.58 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $83,582 | $40.18 |
| 9 | Vermont | $80,333 | $38.62 |
| 10 | Virginia | $82,022 | $39.43 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $80,444 | $38.67 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $78,726 | $37.85 |
| 13 | Idaho | $78,961 | $37.96 |
| 14 | Texas | $79,419 | $38.18 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $79,926 | $38.43 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $84,121 | $40.44 |
| 17 | Maryland | $82,645 | $39.73 |
| 18 | Utah | $77,120 | $37.08 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $78,301 | $37.64 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $77,541 | $37.28 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $82,074 | $39.46 |
| 22 | Montana | $77,348 | $37.19 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $80,498 | $38.70 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $76,300 | $36.68 |
| 25 | Ohio | $74,727 | $35.93 |
| 26 | Maine | $75,766 | $36.43 |
| 27 | Michigan | $74,406 | $35.77 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $73,164 | $35.17 |
| 29 | Illinois | $75,772 | $36.43 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $76,258 | $36.66 |
| 31 | Indiana | $72,602 | $34.90 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $72,788 | $34.99 |
| 33 | Colorado | $72,814 | $35.01 |
| 34 | Georgia | $74,244 | $35.69 |
| 35 | Iowa | $72,892 | $35.04 |
| 36 | Alaska | $75,692 | $36.39 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $72,743 | $34.97 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $72,793 | $35.00 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $71,346 | $34.30 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $71,046 | $34.16 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $68,674 | $33.02 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $71,499 | $34.37 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $72,455 | $34.83 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $69,944 | $33.63 |
| 45 | Alabama | $69,250 | $33.29 |
| 46 | Florida | $70,541 | $33.91 |
| 47 | Kansas | $69,300 | $33.32 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $70,644 | $33.96 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $66,259 | $31.86 |
| 50 | Missouri | $68,403 | $32.89 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $68,061 | $32.72 |
The highest-paying cities for software engineers are San Bruno, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Bruno, CA | $126,992 | $61.05 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $113,141 | $54.39 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $93,074 | $44.75 |
| 4 | Hillsboro, OR | $91,839 | $44.15 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $84,161 | $40.46 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $83,740 | $40.26 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $83,520 | $40.15 |
| 8 | Reston, VA | $82,203 | $39.52 |
| 9 | Edison, NJ | $82,155 | $39.50 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $81,355 | $39.11 |
| 11 | Raleigh, NC | $79,096 | $38.03 |
| 12 | Pittsburgh, PA | $78,490 | $37.74 |
| 13 | Austin, MN | $76,098 | $36.59 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $75,952 | $36.52 |
| 15 | Washington, MI | $74,612 | $35.87 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $74,590 | $35.86 |
| 17 | Alpharetta, GA | $74,229 | $35.69 |
| 18 | Richmond, IN | $72,911 | $35.05 |
| 19 | Bentonville, AR | $72,900 | $35.05 |
| 20 | Tampa, FL | $71,875 | $34.56 |
Software Engineers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
A software engineer's salary ranges from $73,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $136,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| 75th Percentile | $118,000 | $9,833 | $57 |
| Average | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
The highest paying types of 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 Consultant | $88,605 | $7,384 | $42.60 | 275,746 |
| Software Programmer | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34.43 | 253,235 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Computer Engineer | $96,805 | $8,067 | $46.54 | 126,709 |
| Software Development Engineer | $109,147 | $9,096 | $52.47 | 356,971 |
Top companies hiring software engineers now:
Software engineer salaries at The Citadel and BandPage are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average software engineer salary at companies like Meta and Airbnb are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Citadel | $174,309 | $83.80 |
| 2 | BandPage | $158,055 | $75.99 |
| 3 | Meta | $153,335 | $73.72 |
| 4 | Airbnb | $153,070 | $73.59 |
| 5 | Credit Karma | $152,581 | $73.36 |
| 6 | Brex | $148,309 | $71.30 |
| 7 | BitGo | $148,002 | $71.15 |
| 8 | ByteDance | $147,866 | $71.09 |
| 9 | Netflix | $147,779 | $71.05 |
| 10 | Conning | $147,043 | $70.69 |
| 11 | Wealthfront | $146,765 | $70.56 |
| 12 | Apple | $146,613 | $70.49 |
| 13 | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | $146,595 | $70.48 |
| 14 | TikTok | $146,303 | $70.34 |
| 15 | Mixpanel | $145,994 | $70.19 |
| 16 | Quora | $145,651 | $70.02 |
| 17 | Jane Street | $145,558 | $69.98 |
| 18 | StumbleUpon | $145,226 | $69.82 |
| 19 | Nuxeo | $144,828 | $69.63 |
| 20 | Upstart Network | $144,806 | $69.62 |
The average software engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $122,617 | $58.95 |
| 2 | Technology | $111,876 | $53.79 |
| 3 | Finance | $104,574 | $50.28 |
| 4 | Professional | $101,089 | $48.60 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $100,102 | $48.13 |
The average software engineer salary has risen by $18,613 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average software engineer earned $81,647 annually, but today, they earn $100,260 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for software engineers over the last decade.
Compare software engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare software engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $100,000 | $48.20 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $97,000 | $46.61 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $94,800 | $45.56 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $93,100 | $44.75 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $91,500 | $44.00 | +1.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5 Networks | Software Engineer III | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $128,099 |
| Red Hat | Software Engineer, AI Platform (Release Engineering)-AI Engineering | Boston, MA | 06/30/2025 | $108,760 |
| Carrier | Software Engineer II-Codes & Standard (Noresco) | Commerce City, CO | 06/30/2025 | $76,516 |
| Jeppesen | Experienced Software Engineer (Secure Network & Protocols) | Titusville, FL | 06/30/2025 | $107,100 |
| Jeppesen | Experienced Full-Stack Software Engineer | Aurora, CO | 06/30/2025 | $114,750 |
| Jeppesen | Experienced Software Engineer | Hazelwood, MO | 06/30/2025 | $107,100 |
| Jeppesen | Software Engineer (MID or Senior) (Real Time Software Engineer) | Seal Beach, CA | 06/30/2025 | $141,950 |
| Jeppesen | Software Engineer-Simulation (Simulation) | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $118,150 |
| Imeg Consultants | Revit API Software Engineer | Aberdeen, SD | 06/30/2025 | $90,000 |
| Northwestern Mutual | Software Engineer III | Milwaukee, WI | 06/30/2025 | $92,750 |
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