On November 3, 2026 we looked at 11,214 open software engineer jobs in the US, collected from employers' own hiring systems. 7,864 of them post an annual base salary range.

The median is $188K a year. The middle half of listings pays between $151K and $225K.

These are advertised base salaries, taken as the midpoint of each posted range. Bonuses, commission and equity are not included.

How the pay is spread

Midpoint of the posted range Share of listings

Under $125K 11%

$125K–$150K 12%

$150K–$175K 19%

$175K–$200K 16%

$200K–$225K 16%

$225K–$250K 10%

$250K–$275K 7%

$275K–$300K 3%

$300K and up 7%

About one listing in four pays under $150K. One in six pays $250K or more.

By level

Level Jobs Typical range Median

Intern 59 $87K–$110K $96K

Entry level 210 $99K–$140K $117K

Mid level 3,302 $135K–$200K $170K

Senior 2,213 $155K–$225K $191K

Lead / Staff 1,987 $177K–$275K $224K

Manager 93 $170K–$230K $205K

Each step up adds $21K to $53K. The biggest jump is from entry to mid level.…