Software engineer salary in United States

The average salary for a Software Engineer is $135,685 per year in the United States. This figure is based on 38.9k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months, last updated on September 7, 2026.

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Software Engineer salaries typically range between a low of $79,949 and a high of $230,279 per year, depending on experience, location, and the hiring company.

Some of the highest-paying cities for Software Engineer include San Jose, CA at $183,321 per year, New York, NY at $172,530 per year, and Seattle, WA at $159,324 per year.

Based on recent job postings on Indeed, some of the top-paying companies for Software Engineer include Xebia IT Architects India Pvt. Ltd ($420,000 per year) and CHAI ($381,250 per year).

Compensation can vary based on the specific niche and level of responsibility within the field. Here is how the average Software Engineer salary compares to related positions:

• Entry Level Software Engineer: Average $80,680 per year
• Junior Software Engineer: Average $86,332 per year
• Principal Software Engineer: Average $178,554 per year
• Senior Software Engineer: Average $158,468 per year
• Software Engineer Intern: Average $35.35 per hour
• Staff Software Engineer: Average $212,876 per year