The software engineering career path has become exceedingly popular in recent years, not just because there’s a surplus of available jobs and they offer remote-friendly work. With a shortage of qualified software engineering talent in the pool of applicants, companies are also ready to pay top dollar for experienced and capable software engineers.

So how much does a software engineer make? When we talk about software engineering salaries, we tend to look to Big Tech and Silicon Valley as a benchmark of what companies can pay. But these days, companies all over the country — and in all industries — are looking for solutions that require a programmer’s touch, whether it’s building the backend of a mobile app or overhauling the frontend design of web pages.

The general average salary for software engineers in the United States is around $115,140, but how much you can make as a software engineer depends on a number of factors, including your level of experience and where you live.

The Need for Software Engineers is Growing

Non-tech industries like e-commerce, healthcare — even aerospace defense, like Lockheed Martin — need software developers and engineers. Organizations can’t afford to ignore the importance of reliable tech. However, there aren’t enough software engineers skilled enough to bring these industries into the tech fold.

Luckily, coding bootcamps create the fastest track from coding newbie to full-fledged software engineer. With every graduating cohort, the talent gap closes marginally, but the need will continue to grow as new industries find ways to implement tech stacks into their services, products, and offerings.

So what can software engineers expect to earn? We use some of the industry’s most accurate salary data to compile average salaries by level and by city, particularly those where software engineer jobs are plentiful.

Learn More:

• 5 Reasons Why Software Engineers are in High Demand
• How to Become a Software Engineer Without a Degree
• How to Get Started as a Software Engineer
• 7 Companies That Hire Coding Bootcamp Graduates

Average Software Engineer Salary by Level

While some major tech companies like Microsoft and Google may have their own specialized career tracks, they’re usually similar to the traditional levels of engineering as one climbs up the ladder. Typically, there are five levels in the software engineering career path.

Level 1: Entry-Level Software Engineer Salary

The average salary for an entry-level software engineer, according to Salary.com, is $76,500. This number can vary, however, depending on experience, like previous coding experience or other soft skills that are useful to an organization. This is especially true in the startup scene.

Most bootcamp graduates and college graduates with computer science degrees start as Level 1 Software Engineers, with room to move up or be promoted.

On the high end, entry-level software engineers have the potential to make it into the six-figure range, particularly if they live in a city like San Francisco or New York where the cost of living is significantly higher.

Level 1 software engineers typically don’t make many decisions around a company’s product. They usually take direction and tasks from more senior engineers on the team to help move projects forward. Luckily, at this stage, expertise isn’t a requirement — good organizations know that junior software engineers are still learning, so they’re typically included in conversations that help them improve their skills and build competency.

Level 2: Mid-Level Software Engineer Salary

Salary.com also notes that Level 2 software engineers net around $96,196.

A mid-level software engineer has a few more years of experience under their belt and a greater competency around programming languages and professional skills. While still not a project owner, a Level 2 engineer is expected to be a problem solver with little to no guidance.

Level 3: Senior/Staff Software Engineer Salary

In 2023, Salary.com clocks the national average salary for a Level 3 engineer at $120,404. Top earners at companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google can potentially break the $200,000 mark with a job title as Staff Engineer.

Typically, staff engineers have 5-6 years of experience under their belt, so they’re managing projects and potentially junior engineers. Where Level 1 engineers are typically handed tasks to do, staff engineers are the ones delegating.

According to Exponent, a staff engineer will sometimes help decide on a problem to focus on and sometimes a staff engineer will spend time writing in code