Software Engineer Salary Benchmarks
The median Software Engineer base salary in this US SaaS sample is $105,800 a year, based on 2,329 employee salaries. Bonus, commission and equity are excluded.
Updated October 2026- Average base salary
- $1,424,161
- Typical range (P25–P75)
- $72,000–$140,000
- Salaries analyzed2,329 employee · 378 contractor
- 2,707
Hiring for this role? At the median, one Software Engineer costs $105,800 a year in base salary.
See what your revenue can fundSoftware Engineer Salary Overview
- Bottom 25% AverageAverage of the lowest-paid quarter · 584 salaries
- $41,901
- Middle 50% AverageAverage of the middle half · 1,159 salaries
- $104,179
- Top 25% AverageAverage of the highest-paid quarter · 595 salaries
- $5,352,056
Median Software Engineer base pay by pay period
- Per year
- $105,800
- Per month
- $8,817
- Every two weeks
- $4,069
- Per hour
- $50.87
Use the median and percentile bands to compare a base salary offer with this sample. The middle half of employee salaries falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles. These are pay bands, not company stages or experience levels.
The seniority table links to separate samples, including Senior Software Engineer. Differences between those medians describe the samples, rather than a guaranteed raise for a promotion.
Source: Founderpath's salary benchmark dataset, used throughout this page. Employee base pay and contractor fees are separate samples. The dataset does not provide a breakdown by location, company stage, bonus or equity, so it cannot establish total compensation or a market-wide pay premium. Browse all SaaS salary benchmarks for other roles.
Detailed Software Engineer Compensation Breakdown
| Percentile Band | Salary range | Average Base Salary | # of salaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | $140,000 and up | $5,352,056 | 595 salaries |
| Middle 50% | $72,000–$140,000 | $104,179 | 1159 salaries |
| Bottom 25% | Under $72,000 | $41,901 | 584 salaries |
Software Engineer Salary by Seniority Level
Median base salary for each Software Engineer level with its own benchmark, from Junior Software Engineer to Principal Software Engineer. Step-up compares each median with the level below.
| Level | Median base | Step-up |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Software Engineer (entry level) | $61,248 | — |
| Software EngineerThis page | $105,800 | +73% |
| Senior Software Engineer | $141,030 | +33% |
| Lead Software Engineer | $151,278 | +7% |
| Staff Software Engineer | $182,000 | +20% |
| Principal Software Engineer | $170,000 | −7% |
What Does a Software Engineer Cost to Hire?
Budget for Software Engineer hires at the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile of this benchmark, as base salary and as fully loaded cost.
One Software Engineer hire at the median: $105,800 a year in base salary, $132,250–$148,120 fully loaded.
| Per hire | P2525th percentile | MedianMedian | P7575th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary / year | $72,000 | $105,800 | $140,000 |
| Base salary / month | $6,000 | $8,817 | $11,667 |
| Fully loaded / year1.25–1.4× base | $90,000–$100,800 | $132,250–$148,120 | $175,000–$196,000 |
| Fully loaded / month1.25–1.4× base | $7,500–$8,400 | $11,021–$12,343 | $14,583–$16,333 |
Contractor alternative: at the median rate of $24.31/hr, one contractor costs $50,556 a year ($4,213 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 termsSoftware Engineer Contractor Rates
Hourly rates for contractors in the Software Engineer role at SaaS companies, annualized for comparison.
- Median Hourly RateMarket rate per hour
- $24/hr
- Annualized EquivalentBased on 2,080 hrs/year
- $50,556
- EngagementsVerified contractor engagements
- 378
Contractor rates are typically higher per hour than employee base salaries — contractors cover their own benefits, taxes, downtime, and admin costs.
Software Engineer Pay by the Numbers
- The middle half of Software Engineer salaries spans $72,000-$140,000: a $68,000 spread, 64% of the $105,800 median.
- A 75th-percentile Software Engineer earns 1.9× the 25th-percentile salary.
- Contractors bill a median $24.31/hr, about $50,556 a year at 2,080 hours, 52% below the employee median base.
How to read this sample
- Employee figures describe base salary, not total compensation. Contractor annual equivalents assume 2,080 billable hours and do not include employee benefits.
- These figures describe the submitted sample. They do not establish pay differences by city, company stage or years of experience.