Median pay for software engineers runs from $77,840 in Aguadilla to $213,110 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara — a 2.74× range across 498 metropolitan areas. The national median of $135,980 sits inside that range but describes no particular market.
Ten per cent of software engineers earn below $82,460 and ten per cent above $214,670 — a 2.6× band. The upside from median to 90th percentile is 58%, which is a normal amount of room for experience and specialisation to matter. An offer below the 25th percentile is worth questioning; one above the 75th is worth taking seriously.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) leads and Aguadilla (PR) trails, but the gap is modest. For a role like this the more useful comparison is not between cities but between the 10th and 90th percentile within one — see the band above.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | $213,110 | $102.46 | 7.09 | 87,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $186,640 | $89.73 | 2.68 | 69,030 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | $167,280 | $80.42 | 4.1 | 92,770 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $166,830 | $80.21 | 1.17 | 121,000 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $166,090 | $79.85 | 1.44 | 42,310 |
| Boulder CO | $164,560 | $79.11 | 3.41 | 7,130 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA | $163,270 | $78.49 | 1.23 | 20,610 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury CT | $162,650 | $78.20 | 0.7 | 3,090 |
| Manchester-Nashua NH | $162,090 | $77.93 | 2.02 | 4,370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $160,920 | $77.37 | 0.82 | 55,540 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura CA | $159,430 | $76.65 | 0.62 | 2,170 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA | $158,290 | $76.10 | 0.77 | 1,680 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA | $156,910 | $75.44 | 0.51 | 540 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA | $156,000 | $75.00 | 1.39 | 18,260 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $154,930 | $74.49 | 2.03 | 69,060 |
| Pittsfield MA | $154,860 | $74.45 | 0.46 | 280 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $154,710 | $74.38 | 0.6 | 710 |
| Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $154,340 | $74.20 | 0.14 | 60 |
| Napa CA | $153,130 | $73.62 | 0.15 | 130 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA | $148,630 | $71.46 | 0.25 | 560 |
| Worcester MA | $146,950 | $70.65 | 0.47 | 1,800 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard WA | $146,200 | $70.29 | 0.68 | 690 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh NY | $145,830 | $70.11 | 0.35 | 1,010 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom CA | $139,640 | $67.14 | 0.64 | 7,460 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $139,040 | $66.84 | 0.13 | 140 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguadilla PR | $77,840 | $37.42 | 0.52 | 270 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas PR | $79,380 | $38.17 | 0.19 | 1,440 |
| Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $81,950 | $39.40 | 0.03 | 40 |
| Midland MI | $83,730 | $40.26 | 0.41 | 160 |
| Jonesboro AR | $84,990 | $40.86 | 0.2 | 130 |
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $86,070 | $41.38 | 0.28 | 410 |
| Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $89,240 | $42.91 | 0.08 | 190 |
| Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $90,660 | $43.59 | 0.13 | 100 |
| Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $91,110 | $43.81 | 0.16 | 200 |
| Rapid City SD | $91,840 | $44.15 | 0.34 | 270 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has 7.09× the national concentration of software engineers — the densest market in the country for this role, with 87,350 employed locally. It also ranks among the ten best-paying metros at $213,110, which is the rarer combination: deep market and good pay together.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | $213,110 | $102.46 | 7.09 | 87,350 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | $167,280 | $80.42 | 4.1 | 92,770 |
| Boulder CO | $164,560 | $79.11 | 3.41 | 7,130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $186,640 | $89.73 | 2.68 | 69,030 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill NC | $135,620 | $65.20 | 2.62 | 9,790 |
| Huntsville AL | $128,080 | $61.58 | 2.43 | 7,030 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi UT | $131,210 | $63.08 | 2.38 | 7,870 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX | $134,120 | $64.48 | 2.28 | 31,960 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray UT | $129,600 | $62.31 | 2.12 | 19,040 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $154,930 | $74.49 | 2.03 | 69,060 |
| Manchester-Nashua NH | $162,090 | $77.93 | 2.02 | 4,370 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville FL | $131,760 | $63.35 | 1.89 | 5,030 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $166,830 | $80.21 | 1.17 | 121,000 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | $167,280 | $80.42 | 4.1 | 92,770 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | $213,110 | $102.46 | 7.09 | 87,350 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $154,930 | $74.49 | 2.03 | 69,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $186,640 | $89.73 | 2.68 | 69,030 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX | $133,290 | $64.08 | 1.52 | 67,030 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $160,920 | $77.37 | 0.82 | 55,540 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $166,090 | $79.85 | 1.44 | 42,310 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN | $134,380 | $64.60 | 0.82 | 40,370 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA | $132,960 | $63.92 | 1.16 | 36,300 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX | $134,120 | $64.48 | 2.28 | 31,960 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ | $131,750 | $63.34 | 1.14 | 29,380 |
Figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme, May 2025 release, SOC code 15-1252. OEWS surveys employers, so it reports what is actually paid rather than what job advertisements claim, and it excludes the self-employed. Estimates cover 498 of 528 metropolitan areas — near-complete coverage, which means the ranges above are reliable rather than drawn from a handful of markets. Read the methodology.