Check my paySoftware Engineer salary by level
Software Engineering (general) pay in 2026, from entry level to VP, in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, Senior Software Engineer, top-tier markets
From entry level to VP, medians run from $113k to $451k.
Individual contributor track
Median base salary in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Software EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry | $113k |
| Software EngineerIC2 Mid-level | $156k |
| Senior Software EngineerIC3 Senior | $205k |
| Staff Software EngineerIC4 Staff / Lead | $250k |
| Principal Software EngineerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $291k |
| Distinguished Software EngineerIC6 Distinguished | $339k |
Management track
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Manager, Software EngineeringM2 Associate Manager | $216k |
| Manager, Software EngineeringM3 Manager | $250k |
| Senior Manager, Software EngineeringM4 Senior Manager | $291k |
| Director, Software EngineeringM5 Director | $345k |
| Senior Director, Software EngineeringM6 Senior Director | $390k |
| VP, Software EngineeringE1 Vice President | $451k |
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.