Engineer Salary Overview
Engineers at SaaS companies design, build, and maintain software across the product stack. Depending on specialization, they work closely with Backend Engineers on server-side systems, Frontend Engineers on user-facing features, and Full Stack Engineers on cross-cutting product work.
Engineer compensation reflects strong market demand across the SaaS industry. The role typically progresses toward Software Engineer specializations and ultimately Engineering Manager for those moving into leadership. View all SaaS salary benchmarks.
Detailed Engineer Compensation Breakdown
Percentile Band | Average Base Salary | # of salaries |
|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | $171,020 | 25 salaries |
| Middle 50% | $111,634 | 36 salaries |
| Bottom 25% | $47,294 | 20 salaries |
What Drives Higher Engineer Pay?
Technical specialization (systems, ML, security, infrastructure)
Years of experience and complexity of systems owned
Company stage — growth-stage SaaS pays a premium for execution speed
Programming language and stack demand (Go, Rust, TypeScript, Python)
Engineer Compensation Structure
Base salary is the primary component (75–85% of total comp)
Equity grants common at growth-stage SaaS (0.05–0.25%)
Performance bonuses typically 10–15% of base
Remote work flexibility frequently included as part of total package
