Due to the growing tech-centricity of the global economy, software engineers are now employed in almost every industry. Moreover, according to US data estimates, the number of software engineers in the US is close to 4.3 million. Additionally, the proportion of college graduates receiving degrees in computer science has increased by an estimated 17.2 per cent in recent years.
Due to the various advantages provided by organizations, such as high salaries and job stability, software engineering in the US has become a respected profession. Software engineers have excellent work satisfaction ratings, with nearly 85% of respondents to a 2025 Hired study stating they are content with their career choice in software development.
This Blog Includes:
- Scope of a Software Engineer in the USA
- Average Software Engineer Salary in the USA
- Software Engineer Salaries by Level of Experience
- Software Engineer Salary Based on Position
- Software Engineer Salary in USA by Location
- Software Engineer Salary Based on Employer/Company
- Software Engineer Salary Based on Industry
- Software Engineer Salary Based on Certifications
- FAQs
Scope of a Software Engineer in the USA
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projections, the employment of software Engineers is expected to expand by 22% between 2020 and 2030, which is much greater than the average growth rate for all occupations. The rising need for software across all economic sectors is what is fueling this expansion.
Also Read: Top 20+ career objectives for software engineering
Average Software Engineer Salary in the USA
In the majority of nations, including the United States, software engineers are among the highest-paid professionals. Also, a software professional in the US makes, on average, USD 139,470 a year, with an extra USD 15,243 in cash compensation. In Indian rupees, that amounts to 11.2 lakh annually. In the United States, the lowest possible wage for a software engineer is USD 36,000 per year, while the maximum is USD 325,000 per year.
Entry-level Software Engineer Salary | USD 78,693 per annum |
Mid-level Software Engineer Salary | USD 94,737 per annum |
Experienced-level Software Engineer salary | USD 1,90,000 to USD 3,05,000 per annum |
Software Engineer Salaries by Level of Experience
The majority of entry-level software positions rely heavily on abilities as the foundation of the package. Therefore, for someone with two to five years of experience, the incident’s details are clear. Following are the metrics for salary as per years of experience:
Years of experience | Average Salary Per Year |
0-2 Years | USD 64,000 |
2-5 Yeras | USD 71,000 |
5-10 Years | USD 84,000 |
10-15 Years | USD 95,000 |
15-20 Years | USD 109,000 |
Software Engineer Salary Based on Position
Here is a list of some of the highest-paying job positions for software engineers.
Jobs Role | Average Salary Per Year |
Associate software engineer | USD 114,000 |
Frontend engineer | USD 128,000 |
Backend engineer | USD 140,000 |
Full-stack engineer | USD 137,000 |
Senior software engineer | USD 193,000 |
Senior software developer | USD 183,000 |
Lead software engineer | USD 218,000 |
Principal software engineer | USD 264,000 |
Senior software engineer | USD 135,001 |
Systems Engineer | USD 112,521 |
Also Read: Part-time job opportunities in the USA for international students
Software Engineer Salary in USA by Location
The salary of a software engineer in the USA may vary from location to location. Hence, here, you can check the software engineer’s salary in the USA by location.
Location | Average Salary Per Year |
New York | USD 151,728 |
San Francisco | USD 162,000 |
Chicago | USD124,000 |
Boston | USD 131,000 |
Los Angeles | USD 138,000 |
Washington | USD130,000 |
Maryland | USD 145,484 |
Virginia | USD 144,362 |
New Jersey | USD 142,744 |
Massachusetts | USD 140,000 |
North Carolina | USD 126,868 |
West Virginia | USD 139,230 |
New Jersey | USD 142,744 |
Software Engineer Salary Based on Employer/Company
Here is the list of various companies and their average software engineer salary per annum.
Company | Average Salary Per Year |
Accenture | USD 83,774 |
Capgemini | USD 59,761 |
USD 139,147 | |
Mphasis | USD 53,485 |
Salesforce | USD 163,022 |
Apple | USD 147,928 |
Amazon | USD 134,110 |
IBM | USD 136,420 |
Software Engineer Salary Based on Industry
In the table below, you can check software engineer salaries by industry.
Industry | Average Salary Per Year |
Software publishers | USD 134,430 |
Manufacturing | USD 132,130 |
Management of companies and enterprises | USD 127,880 |
Computer systems design and related services | USD 112,510 |
Finance and insurance | USD 128,960 |
Software Engineer Salary Based on Certifications
Following are the top certificates for Software engineers that can give you a good salary in the USA.
Certificate | Average Salary Per Year |
Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) | USD 138,150 |
Certified Information Security Manager | USD 139,657 |
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) | USD 134,131 |
Cisco Certified Network Professional Wireless (CCNP Wireless) | USD 122,576 |
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional | USD 119,060 |
Also Read: Internship program in the United States for international students
FAQs
The average salary of a software engineer is as follows:
Salary per hour: USD 36.31 per hour
Salary per month: USD 10,146.14 per month
Annual salary: USD 122,085 per year
As per a report by PayScale, the following Engineering majors are highly paid in the USA along with their average base salaries:
Petroleum Engineering: USD 101,000
Interaction Design: USD 75,000
Operations Research & Industrial Engineering: USD 100,000
Instrumentation & Control Engineering: USD 71,000
Software Engineering: USD 61,000
A good starting software engineer’s salary in the US is considered to be USD 113,211 per year. Competitive starting salaries will vary depending on location and cost of living.
Key skills include programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, C++), problem-solving, algorithm design, data structures, software testing, and familiarity with development tools. Knowledge of cloud computing, machine learning, or DevOps is a plus.
Yes, software engineering is one of the most in-demand professions in the USA. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 25% job growth for software developers from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the national average
This is the Complete 2025 Guide for ‘Software Engineer Salary in the USA‘. Also, if you want to read more such guides on salary follow Leverage Edu and our main page Jobs Abroad.
Recommended Reads