A software engineer is a sought-after specialist working in various industries. Their work involves planning, developing, and maintaining solutions and requires in-depth knowledge and skills in technology. Given the job’s complexity, the software engineer’s salary is fairly high. However, the exact amount that specialists receive still varies quite a bit and depends on the level of skills, country of employment, industry, and other aspects.
In this article, we will analyze what is a software engineer salary and how it is influenced by different factors.
Software Engineer Job Overview
First, let’s explain a software engineer job. It is a specialist who works in the development team and is engaged in the design and creation of large-scale technological solutions. Experts are involved in the full development lifecycle and create clean and efficient code. In collaboration with front-end and back-end developers, an engineer completes the project and maintains high performance.
In general, this position requires the following skills:
- Proficiency in Java, Python, C++, and JavaScript.
- Knowledge of common data structures and algorithms (sorting, searching, etc.).
- Understanding of different stages of development (design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance).
- Ability to debug code efficiently and knowledge of testing frameworks.
- Familiarity with cloud services such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.
- Understanding of microservices, monolithic, and event-driven architectures.
- Dealing with basic cybersecurity principles, including encryption, secure coding practices, and vulnerability assessment.
What Is a Software Engineer Salary on Average
The specialist’s pay depends on many factors. For example, the average rate varies according to the region of hiring, the level of skills of the expert, the rarity of technologies, and other aspects. To begin with, let’s take a look at the average rate in the United States, taking into account all the above factors. The table contains ratings according to popular job resources such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and BuiltIn.
Here’s the updated table:
| Data Source | Software Expert Salary |
| Indeed | $105,329 |
| Glassdoor | $160,368 |
| BuiltIn | $134,809 |
| ZipRecruiter | $147,524 |
Software Engineer Salary Based on Skill Level
One decisive factor in the fee is the level of expertise and experience. It is unsurprising, as employers expect a high-quality result and are ready to pay for the speed and quality of work.
Thus, specialists with many years of experience, various certifications, and successful case studies often receive higher compensation. In addition, they are in greater demand because they require little or no training. At the same time, juniors get a lower fee, although they are also in favor among startups.
In general, the situation with earnings among junior, middle, and senior specialists is as follows.
| Skill Level | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
| Junior | 0 – 2 years | $70,000 – $90,000 |
| Mid-Level | 3 – 6 years | $100,000 – $130,000 |
| Senior | 7+ years | $140,000 – $200,000+ |
What Is a Software Engineer Salary According to Technologies
The rarity of technologies you have experience with affects your fee. It works like this. The more complicated the technology/programming language, the fewer experts who have mastered it. This creates a high demand for specialists skilled in such tasks. At the same time, professionals with common skills have more competition in the market and get paid less. Here are some high-paying tasks and rankings of developers with these skills.
| Technology | Average Compensation |
| OS Kernel Development | $150,000 – $180,000 |
| Kubernetes | $147,000 – $175,000 |
| AWS (Amazon Web Services) | $135,000 – $160,000 |
| Go (Golang) | $130,000 – $155,000 |
| Scala | $125,000 – $150,000 |
| Python | $120,000 – $145,000 |
| JavaScript | $110,000 – $135,000 |
| Ruby | $105,000 – $125,000 |
| PHP | $85,000 – $105,000 |
Software Engineer Rates in Different Industries
Devs are in demand in various fields and industries. It applies not only to information and digital technologies: specialists work in healthcare, banking, real estate, etc. An interesting trend is that non-tech industries offer higher fees. This is due to the need for specialized apps to overcome specific tasks in their business. It can be patient database management for medical centers or banking applications for financial companies.
Check out the list of popular industries and their rates below.
| Industry | Average Salary |
| Finance | $130,000 – $135,000 |
| Real Estate | $110,000 – $115,000 |
| Healthcare | $105,000 – $110,000 |
| Retail | $100,000 – $102,000 |
| Government | $90,000 – $100,000 |
| Education | $85,000 – $95,000 |
What Is a Software Engineer Salary in Different Locations?
One of the most influential factors is the location of hiring. Regions with a higher economic development, such as North America and Western Europe, are more expensive to hire. Specialists from these countries have a high level of skills, and relevant experience, and are the most costly experts on the global market. At the same time, the rankings may vary within a country. For example, specialists from different US states have quite different salaries: compensation is higher in more developed states (California or Massachusetts).
App Engineer Salary in the US
One of the top priority locations for hiring is the United States. The country is a hub for many talented professionals with a flexible work culture and high skills. Let’s look at how salaries vary from state to state and what it costs to hire professionals.
| State | Annual Compensation |
| California | $240,859 |
| Wyoming | $193,169 |
| Hawaii | $191,862 |
| Massachusetts | $188,811 |
| New Jersey | $186,534 |
| Illinois | $185,158 |
| Texas | $185,044 |
| Florida | $184,936 |
| Washington | $180,000 |
| New York | $175,000 |
Software Engineer Rates in Other Regions
Companies looking for more cost-effective cooperation without sacrificing results consider offshoring from different locations. This approach allows you to reduce costs and access talent from any part of the world. Asia and Eastern Europe are popular for offshoring. These regions train highly qualified specialists who can meet the cultural fit of companies from different countries. Let’s take a look at fees in these regions.
What Is a Software Engineer Salary in Eastern Europe?
Eastern Europe is famous for its tech hubs with highly skilled professionals. It has comparatively low rankings due to lower economic development and a fairly high quality of education and skills. The advantage is the proximity to Western Europe, which makes this location attractive to many corporations. As for earnings, the situation is as follows.
| Country | Average Salary |
| Poland | $35,800 |
| Czech Republic | $30,300 |
| Slovakia | $25,500 |
| Croatia | $24,200 |
| Slovenia | $23,000 |
| Bulgaria | $22,000 |
| Romania | $20,800 |
| Ukraine | $20,000 |
| Hungary | $15,000 |
Software Engineer Salary in Asia
Asia is a growing region with many talented professionals. One of the most popular countries is Saudi Arabia, which has a concentration of trained professionals who offer quality expertise and a high cultural fit. When you hire from these countries, you get an affordable price, high-quality work, and a pleasant experience of team integration.
| Country | Annual Fee |
| Saudi Arabia | $71,000 |
| Singapore | $68,000 |
| Japan | $62,000 |
| South Korea | $53,000 |
| China | $41,200 |
| Malaysia | $30,000 |
| India | $12,000 |
Hire Software Engineer with Us
As you can see, compensations vary greatly depending on their skills, technology, and location. Thus, finding real specialists with relevant experience and an affordable price becomes a real challenge. We can help with this issue.
Our team cooperates with highly educated professionals from different regions and offers fruitful cooperation through outsourcing and staffing models. We are ready to find reliable candidates for your team, check their expertise, and provide the most suitable options for your criteria. With this approach, you save valuable time and investment while getting the desired result.
Summary
In conclusion, determining software engineer salary should take into account many factors. Rates depend on the industry, location, professionalism, and technology. Determining the average fee for all factors, we call the amount of $150,000. However, keep in mind that it can be both lower and much higher.
If you are looking for your ideal developer, designer, or other specialist, don’t hesitate to contact us. We have an extensive database and are ready to match you with the best talent. Let’s complete your team together!
