Software engineer salary in United States

The average salary for a Software Engineer is $135,988 per year in the United States. This figure is based on 39.6k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months, last updated on August 31, 2026.

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Software Engineer salaries typically range between a low of $80,119 and a high of $230,817 per year, depending on experience, location, and the hiring company.

Some of the highest-paying cities for Software Engineer include San Jose, CA at $182,736 per year, New York, NY at $171,906 per year, and Seattle, WA at $159,033 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 $79,901 per year
• Junior Software Engineer: Average $86,093 per year
• Principal Software Engineer: Average $178,754 per year
• Senior Software Engineer: Average $158,736 per year
• Software Engineer Intern: Average $35.33 per hour
• Staff Software Engineer: Average $212,684 per year