How much does a Software Engineer make?

Updated Dec 5, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$113K - $174K/yr
Base Pay
$97K - $144K/yr
Additional Pay
$16K - $30K/yr

$139K

/yr
$113K$174K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Software Engineer is $139,498 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $117,813 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 $21,684 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 $113K-$174K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer

$139,498 /yr
Software Engineer
$193,351 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$212,915 /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$139,498 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$193,351 /yr
Software Engineer IV$212,915 /yr

Related Job Titles

For Software Engineer

Some related job titles are Entry Level Software Engineer Salaries with median pay of $127,083, Principal Software Engineer Salaries with median pay of $264,447, Software Development Engineer Salaries with median pay of $142,255, Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Salaries with median pay of $140,579.

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 Stripe, Cruise and Meta.

1
Stripe
Stripe
$269,917/yr
1 open jobs
2
Cruise
$269,850/yr
3
Meta
$263,640/yr
7
Google
$251,215/yr
8
Waymo
$249,391/yr
10
Apple
$247,090/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

1Stripe$269,917
2Cruise$269,850
3Meta$263,640
4Gigster$258,884
5Chan Zuckerberg Initiative$257,184
6Rockerbox$252,214
7Google$251,215
8Waymo$249,391
9Tencent$247,521
10Apple$247,090
Total Pay Trajectory

For Software Engineer

$139,498 /yr
Software Engineer
$193,351 /yr
Senior Software Engineer
$212,915 /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$139,498 /yr
Senior Software Engineer$193,351 /yr
Software Engineer IV$212,915 /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 45,445 salaries from this location

$251,215

 / yr
Microsoft
4.3
Software EngineerSee 41,789 salaries from this location

$197,651

 / yr
Meta
3.9
Software EngineerSee 25,652 salaries from this location

$263,640

 / yr
Oracle
3.8
Software DeveloperSee 20,007 salaries from this location

$181,795

 / yr
Cisco Systems
4.4
Software EngineerSee 18,432 salaries from this location

$204,653

 / yr
NVIDIA
4.6
Software EngineerSee 17,464 salaries from this location

$221,923

 / yr
Qualcomm
4
Software EngineerSee 14,194 salaries from this location

$154,147

 / 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
Mastech Digital
4.1
Software DeveloperSee 13,128 salaries from this location

$99,188

 / yr
Intel Corporation
4.1
Software EngineerSee 8,389 salaries from this location

$183,948

 / yr
Amazon
3.7
Software EngineerSee 7,101 salaries from this location

$188,436

 / yr
CGI
3.9
Software DeveloperSee 6,972 salaries from this location

$111,252

 / yr
Uber
3.9
Software EngineerSee 6,448 salaries from this location

$198,513

 / yr
Tata Consultancy Services
3.8
DeveloperSee 5,728 salaries from this location

$99,656

 / yr
Fujitsu
3.7
Software EngineerSee 5,722 salaries from this location

$115,875

 / yr
Compunnel
4.3
Software DeveloperSee 5,085 salaries from this location

$106,274

 / yr
Mphasis
3.5
Software EngineerSee 3,763 salaries from this location

$107,622

 / yr
IBM
3.9
Software EngineerSee 3,685 salaries from this location

$121,044

 / yr
JPMorgan Chase & Co
4
Software EngineerSee 3,498 salaries from this location

$137,296

 / yr
LinkedIn
4.1
Software EngineerSee 3,498 salaries from this location

$214,697

 / yr
Bloomberg L.P.
4.1
Software EngineerSee 3,357 salaries from this location

$165,790

 / yr
Download as data table

Software Engineer Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Google Software Engineer salaries - 45,445 salaries reported$251,215/yr
Microsoft Software Engineer salaries - 41,789 salaries reported$197,651/yr
Meta Software Engineer salaries - 25,652 salaries reported$263,640/yr
Oracle Software Developer salaries - 20,007 salaries reported$181,795/yr
Cisco Systems Software Engineer salaries - 18,432 salaries reported$204,653/yr
NVIDIA Software Engineer salaries - 17,464 salaries reported$221,923/yr
Qualcomm Software Engineer salaries - 14,194 salaries reported$154,147/yr
Mastech Digital Software Developer salaries - 13,128 salaries reported$99,188/yr
Intel Corporation Software Engineer salaries - 8,389 salaries reported$183,948/yr
Amazon Software Engineer salaries - 7,101 salaries reported$188,436/yr
CGI Software Developer salaries - 6,972 salaries reported$111,252/yr
Uber Software Engineer salaries - 6,448 salaries reported$198,513/yr
Tata Consultancy Services Developer salaries - 5,728 salaries reported$99,656/yr
Fujitsu Software Engineer salaries - 5,722 salaries reported$115,875/yr
Compunnel Software Developer salaries - 5,085 salaries reported$106,274/yr
Mphasis Software Engineer salaries - 3,763 salaries reported$107,622/yr
IBM Software Engineer salaries - 3,685 salaries reported$121,044/yr
JPMorgan Chase & Co Software Engineer salaries - 3,498 salaries reported$137,296/yr
LinkedIn Software Engineer salaries - 3,498 salaries reported$214,697/yr
Bloomberg L.P. Software Engineer salaries - 3,357 salaries reported$165,790/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 $134,447, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation with a median total pay of $133,697, Media & Communication with a median total pay of $128,878, Retail & Wholesale with a median total pay of $127,126, and Restaurants & Food Service with a median total pay of $126,375.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Financial ServicesFinancial Services$134,447

    10% Higher than other industries

  • Arts, Entertainment & RecreationArts, Entertainment & Recreation$133,697

    10% Higher than other industries

  • Media & CommunicationMedia & Communication$128,878

    6% Higher than other industries

  • Retail & WholesaleRetail & Wholesale$127,126

    5% Higher than other industries

  • Restaurants & Food ServiceRestaurants & Food Service$126,375

    4% Higher than other industries

Financial Services

Top paying companies in Financial Services for Software Engineer are Venmo, Earnest, and Robinhood.

VenmoVenmo$234,298/yr
EarnestEarnest$225,534/yr
RobinhoodRobinhood$220,451/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

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3 years ago

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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.

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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

 | 7-9 years

$170,000

/yr

$140K | $30K

Submitted Yesterday

7-9 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$85,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$200,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$130,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$169,000

/yr

$165K | $4K

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Analyst Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$94,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer - IOS

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$100,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$200,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Software Engineer

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$100,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday

Software Engineer pay FAQ

The average salary for a Software Engineer is $139,498 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 619695 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Software Engineer employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Software Engineer in United States is $174,154 per year.

The lowest salary for a Software Engineer in United States is $112,789 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 $93,272.65 to $211,644.92 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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