Engineering Compensation Profile
Software Engineer Salary by City & Relocation Guide
Designs, builds, and maintains software applications and scalable systems across tech stacks. Explore how Software Engineer salaries compare across major U.S. and global metros after adjusting for local cost of living and state taxes.
10th Percentile
$82,000
Entry level
25th Percentile
$105,000
Early career
National Median
$132,000
Benchmark avg
75th Percentile
$168,000
Senior level
90th Percentile
$205,000
Lead / Staff
Top Highest Paying Cities
1
San Jose / Silicon Valley, California
COL Index: 190
$191,400
median/yr
2
San Francisco, California
COL Index: 185
$187,440
median/yr
3
New York City, New York
COL Index: 195
$182,160
median/yr
4
Boston, Massachusetts
COL Index: 158
$168,960
median/yr
5
Washington, District of Columbia
COL Index: 154
$166,320
median/yr
Best Purchasing Power (Geographic Arbitrage)
1
Indianapolis, Indiana
0% or Low State Tax
$140,426
adjusted purchasing power
2
Kansas City, Missouri
0% or Low State Tax
$140,337
adjusted purchasing power
3
Columbus, Ohio
0% or Low State Tax
$140,250
adjusted purchasing power
4
San Antonio, Texas
0% or Low State Tax
$137,388
adjusted purchasing power
5
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
0% or Low State Tax
$137,388
adjusted purchasing power
Compare Software Engineer Across City Pairs
Select any pair below to view full break-even formulas, tax rates, and cost-of-living breakdowns.
San FranciscovsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
San FranciscovsSeattle
San Jose (Silicon Valley)vsSan Francisco
San Jose (Silicon Valley)vsSeattle
SeattlevsSan Francisco
SeattlevsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
Los AngelesvsSan Francisco
Los AngelesvsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
San DiegovsSan Francisco
San DiegovsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
PortlandvsSan Francisco
PortlandvsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
SacramentovsSan Francisco
SacramentovsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
AustinvsSan Francisco
AustinvsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
Dallas-Fort WorthvsSan Francisco
Dallas-Fort WorthvsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
HoustonvsSan Francisco
HoustonvsSan Jose (Silicon Valley)
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