How much does a Software Engineer make in Los Angeles, CA?

Updated Nov 25, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$118K - $185K/yr
Base Pay
$101K - $152K/yr
Additional Pay
$18K - $33K/yr

$147K

/yr
$118K$185K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Software Engineer is $147,236 per year in the Los Angeles, CA area, with an average salary of $123,765 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $23,471 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $118K-$185K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA

$147,236 /yr
Software Engineer
$202,578 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$220,011 /yr
Software Engineer IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Software Engineer?

Job TitleSalary
Software Engineer$147,236 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$202,578 /yr
Software Engineer IV$220,011 /yr

Related Job Titles

For Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA

Some related job titles are Entry Level Software Engineer Salaries with median pay of $128,625, Principal Software Engineer Salaries with median pay of $272,107, Software Development Engineer Salaries with median pay of $150,489, Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Salaries with median pay of $143,257.

Top Paying Companies

For a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA. Employers include Meta, Apple and Dropbox.

1
Meta
Meta
$266,493/yr
3K open jobs
2
Apple
$245,256/yr
5
Google
$241,096/yr
6
Roblox
$239,593/yr
7
X
$233,106/yr
8
Airbnb
$230,760/yr
9
Honey
$225,025/yr
See pay for all companies for a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CAView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA

1Meta$266,493
2Apple$245,256
3Dropbox$243,896
4Tencent$243,210
5Google$241,096
6Roblox$239,593
7X$233,106
8Airbnb$230,760
9Honey$225,025
10Netflix$221,492
Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA

$147,236 /yr
Software Engineer
$202,578 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$220,011 /yr
Software Engineer IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Software Engineer?

Job TitleSalary
Software Engineer$147,236 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$202,578 /yr
Software Engineer IV$220,011 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Software Engineer at different companies in Los Angeles, CA?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Google
4.4
Software EngineerSee 828 salaries from this location

$241,096

 / yr
Meta
3.9
Software EngineerSee 207 salaries from this location

$266,493

 / yr
Apple
4.2
Software EngineerSee 171 salaries from this location

$245,256

 / yr
Amazon
3.7
Software EngineerSee 159 salaries from this location

$179,967

 / yr
Riot Games
4.3
Software EngineerSee 125 salaries from this location

$179,787

 / yr
Microsoft
4.3
Software EngineerSee 110 salaries from this location

$195,263

 / yr
Snap
3.7
Software EngineerSee 96 salaries from this location

$206,696

 / yr

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Google
4.4
Software DeveloperSee 80 salaries from this location

$214,316

 / yr
Northrop Grumman
4
Software EngineerSee 78 salaries from this location

$124,330

 / yr
City National Bank
3.7
Software EngineerSee 55 salaries from this location

$159,400

 / yr
Walt Disney Company
3.9
Software EngineerSee 43 salaries from this location

$188,887

 / yr
Fujitsu
3.7
Software EngineerSee 41 salaries from this location

$121,963

 / yr
Tata Consultancy Services
3.8
Software EngineerSee 39 salaries from this location

$104,683

 / yr
Boingo
3.4
Software EngineerSee 36 salaries from this location

$140,869

 / yr
IBM
3.9
Software EngineerSee 34 salaries from this location

$123,956

 / yr
Tata Consultancy Services (North America)
3.7
Software EngineerSee 33 salaries from this location

$116,852

 / yr
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
Software EngineerSee 31 salaries from this location

$126,527

 / yr
AT&T
3.6
Software EngineerSee 30 salaries from this location

$146,556

 / yr
University of Southern California
4.3
Software EngineerSee 28 salaries from this location

$56

 / hr
UCLA
4.2
Software EngineerSee 26 salaries from this location

$121,775

 / yr
Download as data table

Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA Salaries

Job TitleLocationSalary
Google Software Engineer salaries - 828 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$241,096/yr
Meta Software Engineer salaries - 207 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$266,493/yr
Apple Software Engineer salaries - 171 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$245,256/yr
Amazon Software Engineer salaries - 159 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$179,967/yr
Riot Games Software Engineer salaries - 125 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$179,787/yr
Microsoft Software Engineer salaries - 110 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$195,263/yr
Snap Software Engineer salaries - 96 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$206,696/yr
Google Software Developer salaries - 80 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$214,316/yr
Northrop Grumman Software Engineer salaries - 78 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$124,330/yr
City National Bank Software Engineer salaries - 55 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$159,400/yr
Walt Disney Company Software Engineer salaries - 43 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$188,887/yr
Fujitsu Software Engineer salaries - 41 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$121,963/yr
Tata Consultancy Services Software Engineer salaries - 39 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$104,683/yr
Boingo Software Engineer salaries - 36 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$140,869/yr
IBM Software Engineer salaries - 34 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$123,956/yr
Tata Consultancy Services (North America) Software Engineer salaries - 33 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$116,852/yr
SelfEmployed.com Software Engineer salaries - 31 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$126,527/yr
AT&T Software Engineer salaries - 30 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$146,556/yr
University of Southern California Software Engineer salaries - 28 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$56/hr
UCLA Software Engineer salaries - 26 salaries reportedLos Angeles, CA$121,775/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 4,140

Top Paying Industries

For a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA

The top 5 paying industries for a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA are Restaurants & Food Service with a median total pay of $161,970, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $160,554, Real Estate with a median total pay of $154,754, Personal Consumer Services with a median total pay of $151,266, and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation with a median total pay of $151,135.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Restaurants & Food ServiceRestaurants & Food Service$161,970

    12% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$160,554

    11% Higher than other industries

  • Real EstateReal Estate$154,754

    8% Higher than other industries

  • Personal Consumer ServicesPersonal Consumer Services$151,266

    6% Higher than other industries

  • Arts, Entertainment & RecreationArts, Entertainment & Recreation$151,135

    6% Higher than other industries

Restaurants & Food Service

Top paying companies in Restaurants & Food Service for Software Engineer are McDonald's, sweetgreen, and Applebee's.

McDonald'sMcDonald's$165,287/yr
sweetgreensweetgreen$161,970/yr
Applebee'sApplebee's$128,978/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Engineering?

Engineering jobs are in high demand with workers receiving generous compensation packages and bonuses. Engineering offers ample opportunity for growth and development with transferable skills across an array of fields from software, supply chain and logistics to aerospace. Most roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. To remain competitive, job-seekers should consider specialization or skill-specific programs such as coding boot-camps or certifications.

How does the Software engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA compare to the national average salary in US for the same job?

The average salary for a Software engineer in US is $108,249 per year based on 314,918 salary contributions, which is 4.79% more than the salary for a Software engineer in Los Angeles, CA. The cost of living and the local demand for the work are among the factors affecting wages. The top 3 companies in US where a Software engineer gets the highest compensation are Reed Exhibitions, TikTok and NVIDIA Corporation. Bigger companies typically pay 18.41% more than smaller companies for a Software engineer.

What people are saying about Software Engineer salaries

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Recent Salaries Shared

For software engineer in Los Angeles, CA

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 1-3 years

$83,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 1-3 years

$105,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 1-3 years

$102,500

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 4-6 years

$140,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 1-3 years

$25

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 1-3 years

$75,054

/yr

$65K | $10K

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 4-6 years

$180,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

 | 1-3 years

$132,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday

Software Engineer pay FAQ in Los Angeles, CA

The average salary for a Software Engineer is $147,236 per year in Los Angeles, CA. Salaries estimates are based on 618904 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Software Engineer employees in Los Angeles, CA.

The highest salary for a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA is $184,949 per year.

The lowest salary for a Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA is $118,319 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Software Engineer or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Software Engineer.

Software engineers are paid well above average, often receiving six-figure salaries. The pay range reflects the demand for their skillset and the profitability of the products they develop. Candidates with prior experience in the field or higher levels of education generally receive higher salaries. Pay is expected to grow as the digital transformation reaches a global level. Software engineers can further increase their total pay by pursuing freelance consulting opportunities.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

With a post-graduate degree, a couple of years' work experience, and annual bonuses, a software engineer's salary can qualify as good money. Anonymous Glassdoor ratings indicate that around 74% of software engineers are satisfied with their salaries.

The total pay for software engineers following the average career path can stretch from $97,291.25 to $226,007.81 per year, depending on the level of experience. Total pay includes salaries, bonuses, and other benefits with a monetary value. After working a few years and gaining enough experience, you could enter the ranks of principal software engineers and earn higher total pay.

If you want to earn more from your career as a software engineer, or you'd like to apply for a new position with a higher salary, ask yourself what you can bring to the table. If you hold an associate's degree, the next step would be to complete your bachelor's in software engineering. And after that, consider acquiring your master's degree or a doctorate.

Learn new skills that are in high demand for your field. Add credibility to your skills by obtaining certifications from well-known authorities such as Microsoft, C (programming language), and CIW.

If you enjoy your job as a software engineer but would like to earn a higher salary, you could ask for a salary increase, provided that you can back up your request. If your job responsibilities have multiplied, you've been promoted, or you find out you're being underpaid, consider starting a dialogue with your bosses. Point out what you've brought to the company or any skills and certifications that set you apart. A 3% increase is standard, but ask for more to kick off negotiations.

Software engineers new to a company should highlight their most sought-after skills and experience to motivate a higher starting salary.

Additional Resources

Software Engineer Job Description Template

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