How much does a Software Engineer make in Seattle, WA?

Updated Nov 28, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$132K - $189K/yr
Base Pay
$112K - $153K/yr
Additional Pay
$20K - $37K/yr

$157K

/yr
$132K$189K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Software Engineer is $157,116 per year in the Seattle, WA area, with an average salary of $131,005 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 $26,111 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 $132K-$189K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer in Seattle, WA

$157,116 /yr
Software Engineer
$203,357 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$226,912 /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$157,116 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$203,357 /yr
Software Engineer IV$226,912 /yr

Related Job Titles

For Software Engineer in Seattle, WA

Some related job titles are Entry Level Software Engineer Salaries with median pay of $132,706, Principal Software Engineer Salaries with median pay of $295,891, Software Development Engineer Salaries with median pay of $157,234, Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Salaries with median pay of $155,410.

Top Paying Companies

For a Software Engineer in Seattle, WA

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Software Engineer in Seattle, WA. Employers include Meta, Stripe and Pinterest.

1
Meta
Meta
$261,685/yr
2K open jobs
2
Stripe
$258,949/yr
5
Airbnb
$245,366/yr
6
Waymo
$243,891/yr
7
Google
$242,572/yr
8
Apple
$239,488/yr
9
Twitch
$236,932/yr
10
X
$234,124/yr
See pay for all companies for a Software Engineer in Seattle, WAView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Software Engineer in Seattle, WA

1Meta$261,685
2Stripe$258,949
3Pinterest$251,609
4Dropbox$251,604
5Airbnb$245,366
6Waymo$243,891
7Google$242,572
8Apple$239,488
9Twitch$236,932
10X$234,124
Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer in Seattle, WA

$157,116 /yr
Software Engineer
$203,357 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$226,912 /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$157,116 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$203,357 /yr
Software Engineer IV$226,912 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Software Engineer at different companies in Seattle, WA?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Meta
3.9
Software EngineerSee 4,553 salaries from this location

$261,685

 / yr
Amazon
3.7
Software EngineerSee 3,791 salaries from this location

$191,250

 / yr
Google
4.4
Software EngineerSee 2,302 salaries from this location

$242,572

 / yr
Microsoft
4.3
Software EngineerSee 1,606 salaries from this location

$195,945

 / yr
Oracle
3.8
Software DeveloperSee 1,067 salaries from this location

$183,326

 / yr
Uber
3.9
Software EngineerSee 768 salaries from this location

$205,802

 / yr
DocuSign
3.7
Software EngineerSee 506 salaries from this location

$199,693

 / yr

Is this salary info helpful?

Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere

Share Salary Anonymously
Cisco Systems
4.3
Software EngineerSee 441 salaries from this location

$214,905

 / yr
Amazon
3.7
Software DeveloperSee 390 salaries from this location

$162,988

 / yr
Qualtrics
3.3
Software EngineerSee 248 salaries from this location

$183,491

 / yr
Splunk
4
Software EngineerSee 247 salaries from this location

$204,759

 / yr
Amazon Web Services
3.8
Software EngineerSee 204 salaries from this location

$195,700

 / yr
Nordstrom
3.7
Software EngineerSee 190 salaries from this location

$153,034

 / yr
Oracle
3.8
Software EngineerSee 190 salaries from this location

$180,956

 / yr
Electronic Arts
4
Software EngineerSee 181 salaries from this location

$201,591

 / yr
Lyft
3.6
Software EngineerSee 174 salaries from this location

$230,930

 / yr
Dropbox
4.4
Software EngineerSee 169 salaries from this location

$251,604

 / yr
DoorDash
3.7
Software EngineerSee 165 salaries from this location

$203,871

 / yr
Snap
3.7
Software EngineerSee 154 salaries from this location

$222,376

 / yr
F5
3.9
Software EngineerSee 154 salaries from this location

$172,773

 / yr
Download as data table

Software Engineer in Seattle, WA Salaries

Job TitleLocationSalary
Meta Software Engineer salaries - 4,553 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$261,685/yr
Amazon Software Engineer salaries - 3,791 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$191,250/yr
Google Software Engineer salaries - 2,302 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$242,572/yr
Microsoft Software Engineer salaries - 1,606 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$195,945/yr
Oracle Software Developer salaries - 1,067 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$183,326/yr
Uber Software Engineer salaries - 768 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$205,802/yr
DocuSign Software Engineer salaries - 506 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$199,693/yr
Cisco Systems Software Engineer salaries - 441 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$214,905/yr
Amazon Software Developer salaries - 390 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$162,988/yr
Qualtrics Software Engineer salaries - 248 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$183,491/yr
Splunk Software Engineer salaries - 247 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$204,759/yr
Amazon Web Services Software Engineer salaries - 204 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$195,700/yr
Nordstrom Software Engineer salaries - 190 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$153,034/yr
Oracle Software Engineer salaries - 190 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$180,956/yr
Electronic Arts Software Engineer salaries - 181 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$201,591/yr
Lyft Software Engineer salaries - 174 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$230,930/yr
Dropbox Software Engineer salaries - 169 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$251,604/yr
DoorDash Software Engineer salaries - 165 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$203,871/yr
Snap Software Engineer salaries - 154 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$222,376/yr
F5 Software Engineer salaries - 154 salaries reportedSeattle, WA$172,773/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 3,020

Top Paying Industries

For a Software Engineer in Seattle, WA

The top 5 paying industries for a Software Engineer in Seattle, WA are Legal with a median total pay of $178,849, Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $173,971, Financial Services with a median total pay of $168,611, Information Technology with a median total pay of $164,456, and Personal Consumer Services with a median total pay of $161,570.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • LegalLegal$178,849

    13% Higher than other industries

  • Transportation & LogisticsTransportation & Logistics$173,971

    10% Higher than other industries

  • Financial ServicesFinancial Services$168,611

    8% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$164,456

    5% Higher than other industries

  • Personal Consumer ServicesPersonal Consumer Services$161,570

    4% Higher than other industries

Legal

The top paying company in Legal for Software Engineer is Avvo.

AvvoAvvo$178,849/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 Seattle, WA 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 18.48% less than the salary for a Software engineer in Seattle, WA. 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

Tech

3 years ago

a 

Sales Engineer

Let's see what we are all making. Include current salary, location, job role (e.g. Software Engineer; Product Manager) and YoE please. Reply using your comapny.

2,935

793 Comments

Software Engineer pay FAQ in Seattle, WA

The average salary for a Software Engineer is $157,116 per year in Seattle, WA. Salaries estimates are based on 619063 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Software Engineer employees in Seattle, WA.

The highest salary for a Software Engineer in Seattle, WA is $189,370 per year.

The lowest salary for a Software Engineer in Seattle, WA is $131,892 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 $112,914.12 to $223,283.05 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

Salaries

 > 

software engineer

 > 

Seattle