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Software engineer salary in California (Updated 2026)

How much does a Software Engineer make in California?

Average base salary

$158,600
19%
above national average
Average $158,600
Low $96,659
High $260,234

The average salary for a software engineer is $158,600 per year in California and $5,000 cash bonus per year.9.7k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated May 11, 2026).

Software Engineer job openings in California

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Software Engineer
Peraton3.1out of 5 stars.
Los Angeles, CA
$66,000 - $106,000 a year
7 hours ago

Highest paying companies for Software Engineer in California

Average year pay is based on job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months.
CHAI
 
$381,250per year
View company
Superior Skilled Trades
 
$312,000per year
MERCOR
 
$307,813per year
THE PLANET GROUP
 
$273,520per year
Coupang
 
$255,000per year
Lead Bank
 
$238,472per year

Highest paying cities for Software Engineers near California

  1. Menlo Park, CA
    $182,004 per year
  2. San Francisco, CA
    $177,566 per year
  3. San Jose, CA
    $172,599 per year
  4. Mountain View, CA
    $172,105 per year
  5. Los Angeles, CA
    $152,473 per year

Where can a Software Engineer earn more?

Compare salaries for Software Engineers in different locations
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How much do similar professions as Software Engineer get paid in California?

Entry Level Software Engineer

Job openings
Average $74,310 per year

Junior Software Engineer

Job openings
Average $89,769 per year

Principal Software Engineer

Job openings
Average $214,450 per year

Software Engineer Intern

Job openings
Average $43.10 per hour