Software Engineer Salary: $132K US Median

The 2026 US national median Software Engineer salary is $132,270 per year. Entry-level (25th percentile) starts at $86,560, while experienced professionals (90th percentile) earn $208,620 or more. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, blended with 2026 market data from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and Robert Half.

Yes — Software Engineer salaries grew approximately 520.0% year-over-year, from $21,334 in 2025 to $132,270 in 2026 (+$110,936). This reflects the Technology sector's 2025-2026 wage growth, driven by demand for Python and TypeScript.

The 5 highest-paying US cities for Software Engineers: San Francisco, CA ($205K); Oakland, CA ($185K); New York, NY ($179K); Seattle, WA ($175K); Washington, DC ($172K). Note these higher salaries usually correspond to higher cost-of-living — see individual city pages for purchasing-power-adjusted figures.

Lowest-paying metros for Software Engineers: Wichita ($112K), El Paso ($112K), Tulsa ($116K). However, these cities also have proportionally lower cost-of-living, so real purchasing power may exceed expensive metros.

Software developer employment is projected to grow 17% through 2034 — adding 327,900 new jobs. AI and cloud computing demand continues to drive growth, particularly for engineers with ML/AI skills. BLS projects 17% employment growth from 2024-2034 — much faster than average compared to all US occupations.

The hottest 2026 skills are: Python, TypeScript, AWS/Azure, LLM/RAG, Kubernetes, Go/Rust. These appear in the highest-paying job listings, command 15-30% salary premiums, and are heavily weighted by ATS keyword filters. Adding them to your resume — naturally and in context — significantly improves your match rate.

Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience). However, the 2026 market increasingly values demonstrable skills, portfolios, and certifications alongside (or in place of) traditional degrees — particularly in Technology. Top recognized credentials: AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional, Microsoft Azure.

Based on levels.fyi data and what I'm seeing from comparable offers, total compensation for this level is closer to $X base plus equity. Can we close the gap on base or front-load the RSU grant? Key leverage points for Technology: Reference levels.fyi total compensation data for your level (L4/L5/etc.) at comparable companies; Quantify recent shipped impact: latency reduced, revenue driven, on-call incidents resolved; Hold a competing offer (or credible interview pipeline) before the salary conversation. Beyond base salary, negotiate: Sign-on bonus ($25K-$100K is standard at Big Tech), RSU refreshers and accelerated vesting cliffs, Remote/hybrid flexibility and home-office stipend, Annual learning budget and conference allowance.

Major US employers hiring Software Engineers include: Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Stripe, Anthropic, OpenAI. Most use ATS software (Workday, Greenhouse, Taleo, iCIMS) to screen resumes — meaning your resume must be ATS-optimized to even reach a human recruiter.

Entry-level (0–1 year) Software Engineers typically earn around $87,400. By year 2–3, salary climbs to $95,000. With 7–10 years of experience, Software Engineers earn $175,000 on average. Senior/lead roles (15+ years) reach $191,810 or more.