How much does a Software Engineer make?

Updated Oct 1, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$111K - $177K/yr
Base Pay
$91K - $140K/yr
Additional Pay
$20K - $37K/yr

$140K

/yr
$111K$177K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Software Engineer is $139,606 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $113,132 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 $26,474 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 $111K-$177K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer

$139,606 /yr
Software Engineer
$176,434 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$195,868 /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$139,606 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$176,434 /yr
Software Engineer IV$195,868 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For a Software Engineer in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Software Engineer in United States. Employers include Meta, Stripe and Google.

1
Meta
Meta
$248,442/yr
2K open jobs
2
Stripe
$233,918/yr
3
Google
$231,837/yr
4
Twitter
$226,879/yr
6
Recurly
$220,570/yr
7
Groundspeed
$219,881/yr
8
Ripcord
$218,595/yr
10
Airbnb
$216,012/yr
See pay for all companies for a Software Engineer in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Software Engineer in United States

1Meta$248,442
2Stripe$233,918
3Google$231,837
4Twitter$226,879
5Mozilla$221,282
6Recurly$220,570
7Groundspeed$219,881
8Ripcord$218,595
9Tencent$218,380
10Airbnb$216,012
Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer

$139,606 /yr
Software Engineer
$176,434 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$195,868 /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$139,606 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$176,434 /yr
Software Engineer IV$195,868 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Software Engineer at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Google
4.4
Software EngineerSee 26,914 salaries from all locations

$231,837

 / yr
Microsoft
4.3
Software EngineerSee 16,782 salaries from all locations

$197,671

 / yr
Meta
3.9
Software EngineerSee 13,622 salaries from all locations

$248,442

 / yr
Oracle
3.9
Software DeveloperSee 8,391 salaries from all locations

$151,241

 / yr
Cisco Systems
4.4
Software EngineerSee 8,206 salaries from all locations

$184,742

 / yr
Amazon
3.7
Software EngineerSee 6,790 salaries from all locations

$199,351

 / yr
Intel Corporation
4.1
Software EngineerSee 5,722 salaries from all locations

$181,584

 / 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
Fujitsu
3.7
Software EngineerSee 5,718 salaries from all locations

$110,988

 / yr
Qualcomm
4.1
Software EngineerSee 5,601 salaries from all locations

$150,408

 / yr
NVIDIA
4.6
Software EngineerSee 5,185 salaries from all locations

$191,456

 / yr
Mastech Digital
4.1
Software DeveloperSee 4,332 salaries from all locations

$98,338

 / yr
Uber
3.9
Software EngineerSee 3,614 salaries from all locations

$193,549

 / yr
IBM
3.9
Software EngineerSee 3,413 salaries from all locations

$120,408

 / yr
CGI
3.9
Software DeveloperSee 3,189 salaries from all locations

$111,119

 / yr
JPMorgan Chase & Co
4
Software EngineerSee 3,023 salaries from all locations

$115,510

 / yr
Apple
4.2
Software EngineerSee 2,963 salaries from all locations

$200,519

 / yr
Cerner
3.6
Software EngineerSee 2,657 salaries from all locations

$95,509

 / yr
Epic
3.4
Software DeveloperSee 2,412 salaries from all locations

$147,664

 / yr
Yahoo
4.1
Software EngineerSee 2,395 salaries from all locations

$201,749

 / yr
Capital One
4.1
Software EngineerSee 2,347 salaries from all locations

$119,271

 / yr
Download as data table

Software Engineer Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Google Software Engineer salaries - 26,914 salaries reported$231,837/yr
Microsoft Software Engineer salaries - 16,782 salaries reported$197,671/yr
Meta Software Engineer salaries - 13,622 salaries reported$248,442/yr
Oracle Software Developer salaries - 8,391 salaries reported$151,241/yr
Cisco Systems Software Engineer salaries - 8,206 salaries reported$184,742/yr
Amazon Software Engineer salaries - 6,790 salaries reported$199,351/yr
Intel Corporation Software Engineer salaries - 5,722 salaries reported$181,584/yr
Fujitsu Software Engineer salaries - 5,718 salaries reported$110,988/yr
Qualcomm Software Engineer salaries - 5,601 salaries reported$150,408/yr
NVIDIA Software Engineer salaries - 5,185 salaries reported$191,456/yr
Mastech Digital Software Developer salaries - 4,332 salaries reported$98,338/yr
Uber Software Engineer salaries - 3,614 salaries reported$193,549/yr
IBM Software Engineer salaries - 3,413 salaries reported$120,408/yr
CGI Software Developer salaries - 3,189 salaries reported$111,119/yr
JPMorgan Chase & Co Software Engineer salaries - 3,023 salaries reported$115,510/yr
Apple Software Engineer salaries - 2,963 salaries reported$200,519/yr
Cerner Software Engineer salaries - 2,657 salaries reported$95,509/yr
Epic Software Developer salaries - 2,412 salaries reported$147,664/yr
Yahoo Software Engineer salaries - 2,395 salaries reported$201,749/yr
Capital One Software Engineer salaries - 2,347 salaries reported$119,271/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 10,000

Top Paying Industries

For a Software Engineer in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Software Engineer in United States are Financial Services with a median total pay of $121,818, Real Estate with a median total pay of $121,622, Legal with a median total pay of $121,605, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $121,354, and Media & Communication with a median total pay of $119,102.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Financial ServicesFinancial Services$121,818

    6% Higher than other industries

  • Real EstateReal Estate$121,622

    5% Higher than other industries

  • LegalLegal$121,605

    5% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$121,354

    5% Higher than other industries

  • Media & CommunicationMedia & Communication$119,102

    3% Higher than other industries

Financial Services

Top paying companies in Financial Services for Software Engineer are Upstart, Smarkets, and SigFig.

UpstartUpstart$200,775/yr
SmarketsSmarkets$197,934/yr
SigFigSigFig$192,222/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.

What people are saying about Software Engineer salaries

Career Pivot

1y

a 

Lead Software Engineer

Hi fellow fishes, I recently interviewed at GoJek and cleared all of the rounds. I even got a call from HR that you have been selected for the senior software engineer role. He then asked me my expected salary. Which i gave a ballpark figure of 28 Laks PA. Since then it has been 3 days and I haven't heard back. Should i call him back and quote a lower price? Need your advice here. P.S - i am from India and have around 4 years of experience. My current salary is around 15 lakhs pa.

10

3 Comments

Recent Salaries Shared

For software engineer

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

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$88,880

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$120,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$25

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$400,000

/yr

$220K | $180K

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$110,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Development Engineer (SDE)

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$80,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Software Development Engineer (SDE)

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$122,700

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$75,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$133,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday

Software Engineer pay FAQ

The average salary for a Software Engineer is $139,606 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 462237 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Software Engineer employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Software Engineer in United States is $177,467 per year.

The lowest salary for a Software Engineer in United States is $111,013 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 $90,400.48 to $218,876.61 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