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Software systems engineer lead salary
Average software systems engineer lead salary
$120,173
Average Software Systems Engineer Lead Salary
The average salary for a Software Systems Engineer Lead in the United States is approximately $120,173 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors like location, years of experience, and industry sector. For instance, professionals in technology hubs such as San Francisco or New York often command higher salaries due to demand.
Where Can a Software Systems Engineer Lead Earn More?
Salary potential is influenced by geographical location. States like California and Washington typically offer higher compensation compared to others. Additionally, industries such as finance and healthcare frequently provide competitive salaries for this role.
Highest Paying Cities
Cities known for high salaries in this field include San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle. Research indicates that these urban areas not only have a thriving tech ecosystem but also a higher cost of living, which is reflected in their salary offers.
Understanding these salary dynamics is essential for job seekers aiming to negotiate their pay effectively or decide where to focus their career development efforts.
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Where can a Software Systems Engineer Lead earn more?
Average software systems engineer lead salary by state
The average software systems engineer lead salary in California, Washington, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average software systems engineer lead salary states are Indiana, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for software systems engineers lead
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $146,555 | $70.46 |
| 2 | California | $152,386 | $73.26 |
| 3 | Alaska | $134,977 | $64.89 |
| 4 | Nevada | $125,069 | $60.13 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $133,038 | $63.96 |
| 6 | Vermont | $124,129 | $59.68 |
| 7 | Texas | $124,748 | $59.98 |
| 8 | New York | $134,273 | $64.55 |
| 9 | Ohio | $119,492 | $57.45 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $117,127 | $56.31 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $134,643 | $64.73 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $119,646 | $57.52 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $121,299 | $58.32 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $125,086 | $60.14 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $127,956 | $61.52 |
| 16 | Virginia | $119,480 | $57.44 |
| 17 | Idaho | $116,163 | $55.85 |
| 18 | Florida | $125,473 | $60.32 |
| 19 | Illinois | $123,925 | $59.58 |
| 20 | Utah | $109,557 | $52.67 |
| 21 | Alabama | $118,018 | $56.74 |
| 22 | Maine | $121,189 | $58.26 |
| 23 | Oregon | $113,566 | $54.60 |
| 24 | Arizona | $111,657 | $53.68 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $109,358 | $52.58 |
| 26 | Delaware | $109,922 | $52.85 |
| 27 | Maryland | $112,267 | $53.97 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $103,044 | $49.54 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $106,756 | $51.33 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $115,014 | $55.30 |
| 31 | Michigan | $106,199 | $51.06 |
| 32 | Iowa | $111,361 | $53.54 |
| 33 | Colorado | $107,040 | $51.46 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $102,334 | $49.20 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $108,721 | $52.27 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $103,977 | $49.99 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $99,997 | $48.08 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $104,126 | $50.06 |
| 39 | Montana | $102,073 | $49.07 |
| 40 | Georgia | $105,570 | $50.75 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $100,569 | $48.35 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $102,155 | $49.11 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $102,611 | $49.33 |
| 44 | Kansas | $95,998 | $46.15 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $96,140 | $46.22 |
| 46 | Indiana | $97,828 | $47.03 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $98,010 | $47.12 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $99,214 | $47.70 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $96,232 | $46.27 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $92,317 | $44.38 |
| 51 | Missouri | $91,551 | $44.01 |
Highest paying cities for software systems engineers lead
The highest-paying cities for software systems engineers lead are San Francisco, CA, Bellevue, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $159,689 | $76.77 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $147,842 | $71.08 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $134,524 | $64.67 |
| 4 | Charlotte, NC | $132,120 | $63.52 |
| 5 | Carson City, NV | $129,144 | $62.09 |
| 6 | Miramar, FL | $125,726 | $60.45 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $125,220 | $60.20 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $125,059 | $60.12 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $121,354 | $58.34 |
| 10 | Arlington, VA | $119,642 | $57.52 |
| 11 | Huntsville, AL | $117,260 | $56.38 |
| 12 | Annapolis, MD | $112,452 | $54.06 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $111,970 | $53.83 |
| 14 | Colorado Springs, CO | $107,828 | $51.84 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $105,378 | $50.66 |
| 16 | Charleston, WV | $103,636 | $49.83 |
| 17 | Memphis, TN | $102,865 | $49.45 |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $102,691 | $49.37 |
| 19 | Cheyenne, WY | $101,739 | $48.91 |
| 20 | Bismarck, ND | $100,618 | $48.37 |
Software systems engineer lead salary details
A software systems engineer lead's salary ranges from $91,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $157,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a software systems engineer lead's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $157,000 | $13,083 | $75 |
| 75th Percentile | $138,000 | $11,500 | $66 |
| Average | $120,173 | $10,014 | $58 |
| 25th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
Highest paying software systems engineer lead jobs
The highest paying types of software systems engineers lead are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and principal systems engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Systems Integration Engineer | $106,065 | $8,839 | $50.99 | 217,599 |
| Principal Software Engineer | $134,230 | $11,186 | $64.53 | 345,893 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Staff Software Engineer | $136,653 | $11,388 | $65.70 | 371,213 |
| Principal Systems Engineer | $133,208 | $11,101 | $64.04 | 146,444 |
Top companies hiring software systems engineers lead now:
Which companies pay software systems engineers lead the most?
Software systems engineer lead salaries at Meta and The Walt Disney Company are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average software systems engineer lead salary at companies like Waymo and Sony Interactive Entertainment America are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $173,390 | $83.36 |
| 2 | The Walt Disney Company | $164,922 | $79.29 |
| 3 | Waymo | $157,936 | $75.93 |
| 4 | Sony Interactive Entertainment America | $144,169 | $69.31 |
| 5 | Magic Leap | $138,373 | $66.53 |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $138,308 | $66.49 |
| 7 | Zynga | $137,656 | $66.18 |
| 8 | Amobee | $134,844 | $64.83 |
| 9 | Parsons | $133,969 | $64.41 |
| 10 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $128,286 | $61.68 |
| 11 | FCA US LLC | $127,526 | $61.31 |
| 12 | General Motors | $127,456 | $61.28 |
| 13 | Baidu | $127,336 | $61.22 |
| 14 | 3M Company | $127,303 | $61.20 |
| 15 | Science | $123,643 | $59.44 |
| 16 | Iridium Communications | $122,472 | $58.88 |
| 17 | Physicians Mutual | $121,795 | $58.56 |
| 18 | SAIC | $121,629 | $58.48 |
| 19 | The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory | $119,079 | $57.25 |
| 20 | Mobileum | $118,550 | $57.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Software Systems Engineer Lead salary by industry
The average software systems engineer lead salary varies across industries:
- The average software systems engineer lead salary in the hospitality industry is $139,762, the highest of any industry.
- The average software systems engineer lead salary in the finance industry is $127,416.
- Software systems engineers lead in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $115,727, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for software systems engineers lead
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $139,762 | $67.19 |
| 2 | Automotive | $127,416 | $61.26 |
| 3 | Professional | $124,698 | $59.95 |
| 4 | Technology | $117,357 | $56.42 |
| 5 | Transportation | $115,727 | $55.64 |
High paying software systems engineer lead jobs
Software systems engineer lead salary trends
The average software systems engineer lead salary has risen by $20,427 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average software systems engineer lead earned $99,746 annually, but today, they earn $120,173 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for software systems engineers lead over the last decade.
Compare software systems engineer lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average software systems engineer lead salary over time
Compare software systems engineer lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Software systems engineer lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $120,000 | $57.78 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $116,000 | $55.87 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $114,000 | $54.61 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $111,000 | $53.42 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $110,000 | $53.05 | +1.2% |
Recently added software systems engineer lead salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Lead Software Systems Engineer | Fairfax, VA | 06/30/2025 | $167,450 |
| Boeing | Lead Software Systems Engineer | Fairfax, VA | 06/28/2025 | $167,450 |
| Parallel Systems | Lead Software Engineer-Enterprise Systems | Los Angeles, CA | 06/24/2025 | $150,000 |
| Innova Solutions | Lead Full Stack Software Engineer-Trading System | Saint Louis, MO | 06/24/2025 | $166,960 |
| Joby Aviation | Lead, Energy Storage & Distribution Systems Software | San Carlos, CA | 06/19/2025 | $157,600 |
| Forterra | Lead Software Engineer-Vehicle Systems & Embedded Controls | Clarksburg, MD | 06/17/2025 | $180,000 |
| Joby Aviation | Lead, Energy Storage & Distribution Systems Software | San Carlos, CA | 03/27/2025 | $157,600 |
| Joby Aviation | Lead, Energy Storage & Distribution Systems Software | San Carlos, CA | 02/18/2025 | $157,600 |
| Exokeryx | System SW Architecture-ML Acceleration Lead Engineer | San Diego, CA | 02/17/2025 | $162,600 |
| Qualcomm | System SW Architecture-ML Acceleration Lead Engineer | San Diego, CA | 02/16/2025 | $162,600 |
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