Software Engineer salary
Brief description of Software Engineer job:
Software has evolved over the years and the software development industry saw tremendous changes in the past two decades. There has always been a boom and demand for skilled software professionals, except for the period of severe recession some time back. The job of a software engineer is to design models and develop a software code to create applications or programs that run on various computer platforms. These days, manpower is being replaced by machinery run by well-developed sophisticated software. So, a lot of research and study is done on the requirements of the client and then the code developed and ultimately the final product released. People in this field are very highly paid for what they do. This article provides a detailed view of the salary offered to a software professional depending on various factors.
1) Software engineer starter salary:
Following is the salary information of a starter software engineer in the United States.
| Software Engineer | salary information |
| Software engineer Salary | $47,360 – $98,295 |
| Bonus for software engineer | $965 – $11,775 |
| Profit Sharing | $820 – $10,305 |
| Total Pay of software engineer | $46,385 – $103,120 |
Software Engineer salary by city:
| City | Salary range |
| San Francisco, California | $50,375 – $107,780 |
| New York | $48,335 – $111,760 |
| San Jose, California | $58,210 – $113,740 |
| Seattle, Washington | $51,345 – $109,245 |
| San Diego, California | $51,140 – $95,865 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $45,305 – $93,445 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $48,850 – $101,885 |
Software Engineer Salary by Company Size
| Size of the company | Salary range |
| 9-Jan | $37,675 – $92,190 |
| Oct-49 | $41,915 – $90,280 |
| 50 – 199 | $46,500 – $93,830 |
| 200 – 599 | $47,865 – $95,615 |
| 600 – 1999 | $50,880 – $96,865 |
| 2000 – 4999 | $50,895 – $96,035 |
| 5000 – 19999 | $51,710 – $105,905 |
| 20000 – 49999 | $49,950 – $105,025 |
| 50000 + | $53,045 – $103,850 |
Software Engineer salary by certification
| Required Certification | Salary range |
| SCJP: Sun Certified Java Programmer | $47,035 – $99,625 |
| MCP : Microsoft Certified Professional | $46,645 – $97,145 |
| MCSE : Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer | $39,375 – $99,785 |
| CCNA : Cisco Certified Network Associate | $49,120 – $99,625 |
| MCSD : Microsoft Certified Solution Developer) | $52,265 – $103,045 |
| OCP : Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) DBA | $28,625 – $100,690 |
| Comptia A+ Service Technician | $39,660 – $81,260 |
| MCP+I : Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet | $35,765 – $106,690 |
| MCDBA : Microsoft Certified Database Administrator | $47,325 – $120,535 |
| MCSA : Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator | $44,050 – $102,135 |
Software Engineer Salary by Industry
| Industry name | Salary range |
| Software Development | $44,275 – $99,180 |
| Software Applications | $46,165 – $91,755 |
| Aerospace and Defense | $54,450 – $98,230 |
| Computer Hardware/Software | $48,960 – $106,130 |
| Legal Research & Analysis Tools | $47,665 – $97,615 |
| Financial Services | $50,115 – $104,370 |
| IT Consulting | $43,675 – $87,380 |
Software Engineer Salary by Skill or Specialty
| Programming language | Salary range |
| Java | $48,105 – $99,015 |
| C++ | $48,420 – $100,790 |
| SQL | $45,750 – $95,470 |
| C# | $46,295 – $92,435 |
| .NET | $46,410 – $93,500 |
| HTML | $45,440 – $96,930 |
| UNIX | $49,475 – $102,845 |
| Microsoft SQL Server | $45,810 – $91,365 |
| ASP.NET | $45,665 – $92,505 |
| Oracle | $48,550 – $97,915 |
Software Engineer Salary by Employer Type
| Firm type | Salary range |
| Company | $47,830 – $98,765 |
| Private Practice or Firm | $49,310 – $99,535 |
| Contract | $45,300 – $90,405 |
| Government – Federal | $51,320 – $96,605 |
| College or University | $35,150 – $90,255 |
| Other Organization | $39,285 – $89,160 |
| Non-Profit Organization | $49,495 – $92,435 |
| Government – State & Local | $43,730 – $87,975 |
| Hospital | $49,325 – $97,085 |
| Self-Employed | $21,805 – $105,005 |
| School or School District | $35,240 – $82,440 |
| Foundation or Trust | $38,675 – $100,005 |
| Team | $23,495 – $95,965 |
| Franchise | $50,005 – $74,565 |
Software Engineer salary by university
| University | Salary range |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | $50,165 – $93,965 |
| USC: University of Southern California | $56,070 – $95,075 |
| CMU : Carnegie Mellon University | $54,100 – $109,820 |
| UIUC: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $48,105 – $93,085 |
| Virginia Tech: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $57,860 – $100,820 |
| RIT: Rochester Institute of Technology | $50,200 – $83,370 |
| UW: University of Washington | $49,920 – $99,670 |
Software Engineer Salary by additional bonus
| Perk | Salary range |
| 401(k) | $50,120 – $99,425 |
| Paid Holidays / Vacation | $49,860 – $98,860 |
| Life Insurance/Disability | $50,535 – $100,380 |
| Paid Sick Leave | $49,940 – $99,325 |
| Casual Dress/Atmosphere | $50,545 – $100,600 |
| Flex-Time / Flexible Schedule | $51,505 – $101,970 |
| Education/Training/Tuition/Certification Reimbursement | $50,410 – $97,350 |
2) Software engineer Average salary:
Listed below is the average salary information of software information today by factors like city, certification, number of employees in the company, etc.
v Average salary of Senior test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer in Software engineer jobs:
| Average Salary | $56,750 – $103,010 |
| Bonus | $1,025 – $14,360 |
| Profit Sharing | $1,035 – $10,250 |
| Total Pay | $56,750 – $111,925 |
Senior Test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer income by city
| City | Salary range |
| San Jose, California | $70,310 – $119,345 |
| San Francisco, California | $68,220 – $106,370 |
| New York, New York | $60,015 – $114,160 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $65,745 – $109,135 |
| Austin, Texas | $55,240 – $97,585 |
| Dallas, Texas | $53,860 – $95,960 |
| San Diego, California | $56,685 – $109,625 |
Senior Test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer income by firm size
| Size of the company | Salary range |
| 9-Jan | $46,190 – $72,240 |
| Oct-49 | $48,895 – $97,130 |
| 50 – 199 | $56,280 – $103,255 |
| 200 – 599 | $52,055 – $100,580 |
| 600 – 1999 | $60,170 – $107,540 |
| 2000 – 4999 | $50,725 – $104,120 |
| 5000 – 19999 | $62,095 – $112,840 |
| 2000-49999 | $52,795 – $112,470 |
| 50000 + | $58,560 – $108,570 |
Senior Test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer income by certification
| Name of the certification | Salary range |
| CQA: Certified Quality Analyst | $57,340 – $99,210 |
| MCP: Microsoft Certified Professional | $54,305 – $107,015 |
| CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate | $51,595 – $123,160 |
| (MCSE)Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer | $40,140 – $122,035 |
| ISEB/ISTQB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing | $55,835 – $95,005 |
| SCJP: Sun Certified Java Programmer | $40,860 – $145,445 |
| Microsoft Windows NT | $39,740 – $151,015 |
| (CSTE)Certified Software Test Engineer | $52,935 – $92,650 |
| IBM Certifications | $40,860 – $107,175 |
| ASQ-CSQE | $73,260 – $94,345 |
Senior Test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer income by languages
| Programming language | Salary range |
| SQL | $56,905 – $99,255 |
| UNIX | $61,200 – $107,665 |
| Microsoft Word | $54,415 – $101,280 |
| Microsoft SQL Server | $53,900 – $99,070 |
| Java | $57,605 – $107,530 |
| HTML | $58,610 – $102,295 |
| Oracle | $56,865 – $101,025 |
| C++ | $59,235 – $109,995 |
| Visual Basic (VB) | $57,790 – $105,250 |
| .NET | $53,140 – $101,435 |
Senior Test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer income by perks
| Perk | Salary range |
| 401(k) | $59,980 – $104,305 |
| Paid Holidays or Vacation | $58,770 – $104,205 |
| Life Insurance or Disability | $60,025 – $105,215 |
| Paid Sick Leave | $58,645 – $106,930 |
| Casual Dress or Atmosphere | $61,070 – $104,625 |
| Flex-Time or Flexible Schedule | $62,380 – $105,960 |
| Education or Training/Tuition/Certification Reimbursement | $58,845 – $107,990 |
Average salary of Software developer or programmer in Software engineer jobs:
| Average Salary | $40,760 – $92,200 |
| Bonus | $525 – $10,230 |
| Profit Sharing | $510 – $9,775 |
| Total amount | $39,410 – $98,605 |
Software developer or programmer salary by city
| City | Salary range |
| New York, New York | $38,635 – $102,740 |
| San Francisco, California | $35,930 – $107,330 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $41,510 – $87,865 |
| Seattle, Washington | $46,625 – $104,600 |
| Los Angeles, California | $29,725 – $93,605 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $41,225 – $94,530 |
| Austin, Texas | $43,685 – $85,220 |
Software developer or programmer salary by size of the firm
| Size of the firm | Salary range |
| 9-Jan | $30,920 – $83,405 |
| Oct-49 | $36,255 – $84,215 |
| 50- 199 | $42,695 – $89,235 |
| 200-599 | $44,380 – $91,420 |
| 600-1999 | $44,855 – $91,355 |
| 2000-4999 | $42,150 – $88,555 |
| 5000-19999 | $51,420 – $101,945 |
| 20000-49999 | $51,595 – $100,085 |
| 50000+ | $46,110 – $103,870 |
Software developer or programmer salary by certification
| Name of the Certification | Salary range |
| SCJP: Sun Certified Java Programmer | $43,980 – $96,735 |
| MCP: Microsoft Certified Professional | $39,490 – $97,205 |
| MCSD: Microsoft Certified Solution Developer | $40,365 – $107,350 |
| MCSE: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer | $45,195 – $100,355 |
| Comptia A+ Service Technician | $39,275 – $87,580 |
| CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate | $26,005 – $89,675 |
| OCP: Oracle Certified Professional DBA | $37,170 – $96,170 |
| MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator | $39,745 – $116,975 |
| MCP+I :Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet | $39,740 – $126,335 |
| MCDBA: Microsoft Certified Database Administrator | $40,555 – $102,585 |
Software developer or programmer salary by programming languages
| Languages | Salary range |
| SQL | $41,130 – $88,865 |
| C++ | $41,140 – $95,790 |
| Java | $40,510 – $93,850 |
| C# | $41,125 – $87,745 |
| HTML | $40,230 – $88,590 |
| .NET | $41,160 – $87,110 |
| JavaScript | $40,200 – $89,805 |
| C | $43,135 – $96,760 |
| Microsoft SQL Server | $40,005 – $88,920 |
| Linux | $42,620 – $98,720 |
Software developer or programmer salary by additional bonus
| Benefit or Perk | Salary range |
| 401(k) | $47,060 – $94,695 |
| Paid Holidays or Vacation | $46,030 – $94,950 |
| Life Insurance or Disability | $47,170 – $96,690 |
| Paid Sick Leave | $45,195 – $95,035 |
| Casual Dress or Atmosphere | $47,175 – $96,510 |
| Flex-Time or Flexible Schedule | $48,340 – $95,925 |
| Education or Training or Tuition or Certification Reimbursement | $48,920 – $95,740 |
Average salary of Senior Software engineer:
| Average Salary | Average Salary |
| Bonus | Bonus |
| Profit Sharing | Profit Sharing |
| Total amount | Total amount |
Senior software engineer salary by city
| City | Salary range |
| New York, New York | $60,245 – $139,075 |
| San Jose, California | $77,770 – $138,570 |
| San Francisco, California | $70,345 – $136,445 |
| Seattle, Washington | $69,535 – $124,445 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $61,110 – $114,870 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $69,010 – $120,750 |
| Austin, Texas | $69,230 – $120,515 |
Senior software engineer salary by company size
| Firm Size | Salary range |
| 9-Jan | $51,605 – $111,685 |
| Oct-49 | $59,540 – $119,205 |
| 50 – 199 | $64,985 – $124,205 |
| 200 – 599 | $64,345 – $122,235 |
| 600 – 1999 | $67,595 – $126,030 |
| 2000 – 4999 | $65,330 – $122,285 |
| 5000 – 19999 | $64,350 – $126,075 |
| 20000 – 49999 | $66,175 – $128,670 |
| 50000 + | $60,655 – $125,830 |
Senior software engineer salary based on certification
| Certification Name | Salary range |
| SCJP: Sun Certified Java Programmer | $60,100 – $119,665 |
| MCP: Microsoft Certified Professional | $58,815 – $112,570 |
| MCSD: Microsoft Certified Solution Developer) | $58,380 – $121,320 |
| MCSE: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer | $58,535 – $123,185 |
| OCP: Oracle Certified Professional DBA | $51,9785 – $124,565 |
| CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate | $57,965 – $125,800 |
| MCDBA: Microsoft Certified Database Administrator | $49,065 – $126,830 |
| Microsoft Windows NT | $55,415 – $127,520 |
| MCP+I: Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet | $48,790 – $122,220 |
| MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator | $51,395 – $123,765 |
Senior software engineer salary based on programming languages
| Skill or Specialty | Salary range |
| Java | $64,230 – $125,510 |
| SQL | $61,915 – $120,500 |
| C++ | $69,235 – $130,110 |
| C# | $62,455 – $118,090 |
| .NET | $61,125 – $117,255 |
| C | $69,650 – $131,015 |
| HTML | $60,865 – $120,705 |
| Linux | $67,2785 – $130,150 |
| Microsoft SQL Server | $60,830 – $114,220 |
| UNIX | $66,925 – $129,045 |
Senior software engineer salary based on additional bonus
| Perk | Salary range |
| 401(k) | $69,520 – $125,085 |
| Paid Holidays or Vacation | $67,720 – $124,925 |
| Life Insurance or Disability | $68,940 – $125,505 |
| Paid Sick Leave | $66,950 – $125,105 |
| Casual Dress or Atmosphere | $69,335 – $127,915 |
| Flex-Time or Flexible Schedule | $69,990 – $127,910 |
| Education/Training/Tuition/Certification Reimbursement | $67,590 – $124,300 |
3) Experienced and levels salary of a Software engineer
Let us now look at the salary for candidates who are well experienced in this field. The more the experience on designing and developing the software code, the more opportunities and salaries one will attract in this field.
Senior Test engineer or Quality Assurance engineer income based on experience level:
| Years’ Experience | Salary range |
| 1 – 4 years | $40,835 – $87,365 |
| 5 – 9 years | $56,155 – $94,050 |
| 10 – 19 years | $63,265 – $109,215 |
| 20 years or more | $66,835 – $116,605 |
Software developer or programmer salary based on experience level:
| Years of Experience | Salary hike |
| Less than 1 year | 10% |
| 1-4 years | 50% |
| 5-9 years | 35% |
| 10-19 years | 20% |
| 20 years or more | 5% |
| Years’ Experience | Salary range |
| Less than 1 year | $34,400 – $82,195 |
| 1- 4 years | $38,360 – $82,185 |
| 5- 9 years | $47,340 – $93,545 |
| 10- 19 years | $54,865 – $105,885 |
| 20 years or more | $53,830 – $107,565 |
Senior software engineer salary based on experience level:
| Years of Experience | Salary hike |
| Less than 1 year | 5% |
| 1-4 years | 10% |
| 5-9 years | 40% |
| 10-19 years | 45% |
| 20 years or more | 15% |
| Years’ Experience | Salary range |
| Less than 1 year | $39,460 – $110,515 |
| 1 – 4 years | $45,345 – $105,270 |
| 5 – 9 years | $58,625 – $110,880 |
| 10 – 19 years | $72,095 – $126,470 |
| 20 years or more | $76,605 – $137,250 |
4) Software Engineering intern hourly wage details:
Internship has been an important concept for any technical candidate since a few years back. Let us look at the salary information of a software engineer intern.
| Software Engineering intern | salary information |
| Intern Hourly pay | $10.65 – $28.15 |
| Overtime | $10.30 – $44.10 |
| Bonus | $328.05 – $2,260 |
| Total Pay | $21,510 – $64,450 |
Software Engineering intern hourly pay by years’ experience
| Years’ Experience | Hourly range |
| Less than one year | $10.30 – $30.75 |
| 1 – 4 years | $10.85 – $26.70 |
Software Engineering intern hourly pay by city
| City | Hourly range |
| San Diego, California | $17.05 – $27.15 |
| San Jose, California | $20.80 – $30.05 |
Software Engineering intern hourly pay by company size
| Firm Size | Hourly range |
| 1-Oct | $12.05 – $18.40 |
| 50 – 199 | $11.75 – $15.35 |
Software Engineering intern hourly pay by Skill or Specialty
| Programming language | hourly range |
| Java | $11.30 – $25.25 |
| C++ | $16.35 – $21.85 |
| C# | $10.35 – $20.45 |
| C | $20 – $25.05 |
| SQL | $11.85 – $20.45 |
| Software Development | $17.55 – $27.55 |
| ASP.NET | $11.85 – $15.55 |
Software Engineering intern hourly pay by Benefit or Perk
| Bonus | Hourly range |
| 401(k) | $10.15 – $35 |
| Casual Dress/Atmosphere | $15.95 – $28.65 |
| Free Drinks/Coke/Juice/Water | $17.35 – $30.05 |
| Paid Holidays / Vacation | $15.55 – $23.55 |
| Paid Sick Leave | $14.55 – $26.65 |
5) Salary of a Software Engineer by state
Software Developer or Programmer Salary by State
| State | Salary range |
| California | $44,155 – $103,105 |
| New York | $39,145 – $99,985 |
| Texas | $40,670 – $83,480 |
| Washington | $44,245 – $105,145 |
| Illinois | $41,125 – $83,470 |
| Virginia | $49,705 – $98,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,050 – $81,995 |
Software Engineer Salary by State
| State | Salary range |
| California | $51,645 – $107,980 |
| New York | $44,295- $101,060 |
| Texas | $47,605 – $88,930 |
| Massachusetts | $50,555 – $98,940 |
| Washington | $48,670 – $104,535 |
| Virginia | $50,090 – $104,145 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,205 – $89,025 |
Sr. Software Developer or Programmer Salary by State
| State | Salary range |
| California | $70,975 – $133,985 |
| Texas | $61,155 – $113,195 |
| New York | $58,580 – $133,860 |
| Massachusetts | $70,355 – $122,065 |
| Washington | $64,855 – $125,680 |
| Illinois | $60,445 – $110,970 |
| Florida | $58,785 – $106,335 |
Sr. Test or Quality Assurance EngineerHourly Rate by State
| State | Salary range |
| California | $25.20 – $58.95 |
| Texas | $21.60 – $62.60 |
| Massachusetts | $23.50 – $55.05 |
| Illinois | $19.95 – $44.55 |
| New Jersey | $30.60 – $54.10 |
| Washington | $30.05 – $39.40 |
| Colorado | $33.20 – $44.85 |
1) 5 companies salary in this field
Over the years there have been many software companies that came into existence and now we have very big software corporate giants. Given below is the information of the salaries offered by some reputed companies.
Software Developer or Programmer Salary by Employer Name
| Company | Salary range |
| International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. | $53,365 – $108,625 |
| Hewlett-Packard Company | $50,005 – $110,005 |
| Microsoft Corp | $49,140 – $120,005 |
| Cisco Systems Inc. | $67,990 – $97,485 |
| Lockheed Martin Corp | $43,925 – $81,665 |
Software Engineer Salary by Employer Name
| Company | Salary range |
| International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. | $59,595 – $108,330 |
| Cisco Systems Inc. | $64,220 – $111,450 |
| Google, Inc. | $77,095 – $134,820 |
| Lockheed Martin Corp | $55,465 – $91,865 |
| ØMicrosoft Corp | $61,540 – $126,685 |
Sr. Test or Quality Assurance EngineerSalary by Employer Name
| Company | Salary range |
| EMC Corporation | $46,125 – $118,365 |
| Cisco Systems Inc. | $77,290 – $149,000 |
| Oracle Corp. | $67,415 – $92,505 |
| Hewlett-Packard Company | $62,915 – $72,240 |
| Yahoo! Inc. | $91,965 – $131,005 |
| Raytheon Co. | $87,195 – $93,060 |
Sr. Software Engineer or Developer or Programmer Salary by Employer Name
| Company | Salary range |
| Oracle Corp. | $79,495 – $135,325 |
| Microsoft Corp | $53,565 – $131,535 |
| International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. | $81,015 – $144,755 |
| Hewlett-Packard Company | $61,660 – $122,195 |
| Cisco Systems Inc. | $87,020 – $136,705 |
1) Factors that affect the Salary:
There are many factors that affect he salary of a software engineer today. Let us look at a few of them.
Certifications: Apart from the regular education, software engineers can go for professional certifications. The salary of an engineer may depend on the kind of certifications he has.
Skill Set: The skills of the engineer help in negotiating the salary with the employer.
Experience: Software design and development needs a lot of expertise and so, highly experienced professionals are very well paid.
Location:There are some places where there are a lot of IT companies. The salary of software professional is likely to be more in big cities and metros.