Best cities for a software design engineer
The best cities for software design engineers are San Jose, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Henderson, NV, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for software design engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for software design engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a software design engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for software design engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for software design engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a software design engineer. While the absolute best city for software design engineers is San Jose, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for software design engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a software design engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for software design engineers in 2026
1. San Jose, CA
Total software design engineer jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $127,384 Lowest 10 percent warn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location quotient: 19.43 2. San Francisco, CA
Total software design engineer jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $127,960 Lowest 10 percent warn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location quotient: 7.35 3. Henderson, NV
Total software design engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $99,806 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location quotient: 28.18 4. Glendale, AZ
Total software design engineer jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $93,269 Lowest 10 percent warn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 51.09 5. Anaheim, CA
Total software design engineer jobs: 28 Average annual salary: $113,587 Lowest 10 percent warn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location quotient: 86.43 6. Seattle, WA
Total software design engineer jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $107,075 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location quotient: 15.56 7. Fremont, CA
Total software design engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $127,559 Lowest 10 percent warn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location quotient: 2.33 8. Sacramento, CA
Total software design engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $126,930 Lowest 10 percent warn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location quotient: 2.25 9. Scottsdale, AZ
Total software design engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $93,188 Lowest 10 percent warn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 6.02 10. Santa Ana, CA
Total software design engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $112,884 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location quotient: 6.27
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Best cities for software design engineers
- San Jose, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Henderson, NV
- Glendale, AZ
- Anaheim, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Fremont, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Santa Ana, CA
- (88 software design engineer jobs)
- (47 software design engineer jobs)
- (5 software design engineer jobs)
- (9 software design engineer jobs)
- (28 software design engineer jobs)
- (84 software design engineer jobs)
- (3 software design engineer jobs)
- (3 software design engineer jobs)
- (4 software design engineer jobs)
- (2 software design engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a software design engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $127,384 | $93,000 | 1,025,350 | 88 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $127,960 | $93,000 | 870,887 | 47 |
| 3 | Henderson, NV | $99,806 | $72,000 | 292,969 | 5 |
| 4 | Glendale, AZ | $93,269 | $68,000 | 245,895 | 9 |
| 5 | Anaheim, CA | $113,587 | $83,000 | 351,043 | 28 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $107,075 | $79,000 | 704,352 | 84 |
| 7 | Fremont, CA | $127,559 | $93,000 | 233,136 | 3 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | $126,930 | $93,000 | 495,234 | 3 |
| 9 | Scottsdale, AZ | $93,188 | $68,000 | 246,645 | 4 |
| 10 | Santa Ana, CA | $112,884 | $82,000 | 334,217 | 2 |
| 11 | Oakland, CA | $127,808 | $93,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 12 | Stockton, CA | $127,115 | $93,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 13 | Pittsburgh, PA | $89,000 | $67,000 | 303,625 | 3 |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | $86,843 | $64,000 | 1,317,929 | 92 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $90,696 | $67,000 | 947,890 | 16 |
| 16 | Louisville, KY | $85,219 | $64,000 | 597,337 | 5 |
| 17 | Los Angeles, CA | $115,546 | $84,000 | 3,976,322 | 8 |
| 18 | Plano, TX | $85,962 | $64,000 | 286,057 | 66 |
| 19 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,732 | $70,000 | 1,567,872 | 3 |
| 20 | El Paso, TX | $92,447 | $68,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 21 | Irvine, CA | $112,250 | $82,000 | 266,122 | 5 |
| 22 | Reno, NV | $102,095 | $74,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 23 | Las Vegas, NV | $100,579 | $73,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 24 | Fresno, CA | $125,340 | $91,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 25 | North Las Vegas, NV | $100,464 | $73,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 26 | Nashville, TN | $81,970 | $62,000 | 660,388 | 8 |
| 27 | Phoenix, AZ | $93,230 | $68,000 | 1,615,017 | 4 |
| 28 | Columbus, OH | $82,748 | $62,000 | 860,090 | 12 |
| 29 | Portland, OR | $102,159 | $75,000 | 639,863 | 2 |
| 30 | Bakersfield, CA | $121,386 | $88,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 31 | San Diego, CA | $106,987 | $78,000 | 1,406,630 | 58 |
| 32 | Madison, WI | $83,767 | $64,000 | 252,551 | 9 |
| 33 | Saint Paul, MN | $90,740 | $70,000 | 302,398 | 5 |
| 34 | Houston, TX | $90,551 | $66,000 | 2,303,482 | 11 |
| 35 | Long Beach, CA | $113,697 | $83,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 36 | Riverside, CA | $113,255 | $82,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 37 | Laredo, TX | $91,344 | $66,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 38 | San Antonio, TX | $91,214 | $67,000 | 1,492,510 | - |
| 39 | Raleigh, NC | $82,100 | $62,000 | 458,880 | 17 |
| 40 | Mesa, AZ | $92,655 | $68,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 41 | Chandler, AZ | $92,635 | $68,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 42 | Gilbert, AZ | $92,563 | $68,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 43 | Corpus Christi, TX | $91,061 | $66,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 44 | Minneapolis, MN | $90,721 | $70,000 | 413,651 | 4 |
| 45 | Lexington, KY | $85,953 | $65,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 46 | Irving, TX | $86,747 | $64,000 | 238,289 | 4 |
| 47 | Detroit, MI | $86,430 | $66,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 48 | Cleveland, OH | $84,131 | $63,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 49 | Toledo, OH | $83,135 | $63,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 50 | Tucson, AZ | $91,092 | $67,000 | 530,706 | - |
Highest paying cities for software design engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. software design engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $127,960 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $107,075 |
| 3 | Hillsboro, OR | $102,292 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $95,718 |
| 5 | Glendale, AZ | $93,269 |
| 6 | Reston, VA | $91,699 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $90,696 |
| 8 | Saint Louis Park, MN | $90,670 |
| 9 | Germantown, MD | $89,385 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $89,073 |
| 11 | Troy, MI | $86,464 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $83,767 |
| 13 | Fargo, ND | $83,745 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $82,748 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $82,100 |
| 16 | Bloomington, IL | $80,669 |
| 17 | Huntsville, AL | $80,489 |
| 18 | Salt Lake City, UT | $77,699 |
| 19 | Lincoln, NE | $75,053 |
| 20 | Lawrenceville, GA | $72,807 |
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Updated January 8, 2025