Developer Salary Benchmarks
Compensation data for the Developer role at US SaaS companies, based on 234 verified salaries.
- Average base salary
- $220,404
- Typical range (P25–P75)
- $51,131–$360,000
- Salaries analyzed144 employee · 90 contractor
- 234
Hiring for this role? At the median, one Developer costs $93,000 a year in base salary.
See what your revenue can fundDeveloper Salary Overview
- Bottom 25% AverageAverage of the lowest-paid quarter · 35 salaries
- $38,954
- Middle 50% AverageAverage of the middle half · 72 salaries
- $104,039
- Top 25% AverageAverage of the highest-paid quarter · 37 salaries
- $618,486
Median Developer base pay by pay period
- Per year
- $93,000
- Per month
- $7,750
- Every two weeks
- $3,577
- Per hour
- $44.71
Developer salaries at SaaS companies average $220,404, with typical salaries ranging from $51,131 to $360,000. Based on 144 real salary data points from SaaS companies.
Detailed Developer Compensation Breakdown
| Percentile Band | Salary range | Average Base Salary | # of salaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | $360,000 and up | $618,486 | 37 salaries |
| Middle 50% | $51,131–$360,000 | $104,039 | 72 salaries |
| Bottom 25% | Under $51,131 | $38,954 | 35 salaries |
Developer Salary by Seniority Level
Median base salary for each Developer level with its own benchmark, from Developer to Lead Developer. Step-up compares each median with the level below.
| Level | Median base | Step-up |
|---|---|---|
| DeveloperThis page | $93,000 | — |
| Senior Developer | $115,000 | +24% |
| Lead Developer | $66,660* | −42% |
What Does a Developer Cost to Hire?
Budget for Developer hires at the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile of this benchmark, as base salary and as fully loaded cost.
One Developer hire at the median: $93,000 a year in base salary, $116,250–$130,200 fully loaded.
| Per hire | P2525th percentile | MedianMedian | P7575th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary / year | $51,131 | $93,000 | $360,000 |
| Base salary / month | $4,261 | $7,750 | $30,000 |
| Fully loaded / year1.25–1.4× base | $63,914–$71,583 | $116,250–$130,200 | $450,000–$504,000 |
| Fully loaded / month1.25–1.4× base | $5,326–$5,965 | $9,688–$10,850 | $37,500–$42,000 |
Contractor alternative: at the median rate of $36.75/hr, one contractor costs $76,434 a year ($6,370 a month) at 2,080 hours, with no benefits load on top.
Fully loaded adds employer payroll taxes, health and retirement benefits, software seats, and equipment at 1.25–1.4× base salary. That multiplier is a planning rule of thumb applied to this benchmark, not a surveyed cost figure. Commission, bonus, equity, and recruiting fees are not included.Fund this hire from revenue: see what your ARR qualifies for.
Check your termsDeveloper Contractor Rates
Hourly rates for contractors in the Developer role at SaaS companies, annualized for comparison.
- Median Hourly RateMarket rate per hour
- $37/hr
- Annualized EquivalentBased on 2,080 hrs/year
- $76,434
- EngagementsVerified contractor engagements
- 90
Contractor rates are typically higher per hour than employee base salaries — contractors cover their own benefits, taxes, downtime, and admin costs.
Developer Pay by the Numbers
- The middle half of Developer salaries spans $51,131–$360,000: a $308,869 spread, 332% of the $93,000 median.
- A 75th-percentile Developer earns 7.0× the 25th-percentile salary.
- The Developer median is 13% below the median Engineering & Product role ($107,320 across 63 roles).
- Contractors bill a median $36.75/hr, about $76,434 a year at 2,080 hours, 18% below the employee median base.
What Drives Higher Developer Pay?
- Years of experience and proven track record
- Company stage and funding (later stage typically pays more)
- Technical expertise and specialization
- Location and remote work policies