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Software Engineer Salary 2026

Software engineers design, build, and maintain software systems.

Last updated:

United States · Annual Salary 2026

25th Percentile

$98k

Entry level

Median

$140k

Market rate

75th Percentile

$217k

Senior level

Software Engineer Salary by Country

Salaries converted to local currency. Cost of Living (CoL) index shown to help compare real purchasing power.

Cost of Living (CoL) is relative to the US (100). A CoL of 50 means daily life costs ~50% of what it does in the US.

<40 · Very affordable40–70 · Moderate70–100 · Expensive100+ · Very expensive
  • United States
    CoL 100≈$140k US buying power
    $140kUSD
  • United Kingdom
    CoL 82≈$85k US buying power
    £55kGBP
  • Germany
    CoL 68≈$111k US buying power
    €70kEUR
  • France
    CoL 74≈$87k US buying power
    €59kEUR
  • Netherlands
    CoL 76≈$96k US buying power
    €67kEUR
  • Switzerland
    CoL 122≈$107k US buying power
    CHF 115kCHF
  • Ireland
    CoL 78≈$99k US buying power
    €71kEUR
  • Canada
    CoL 74≈$123k US buying power
    C$124kCAD
  • Australia
    CoL 72≈$121k US buying power
    A$133kAUD
  • Singapore
    CoL 85≈$89k US buying power
    S$101kSGD
  • UAE
    CoL 62≈$113k US buying power
    AED 257kAED
  • India
    CoL 26≈$70k US buying power
    ₹15.1LINR
  • Pakistan
    CoL 20≈$35k US buying power
    ₨19.5LPKR
  • Nigeria
    CoL 30≈$28k US buying power
    ₦13.0MNGN
  • Kenya
    CoL 34≈$33k US buying power
    KSh 1.7MKES
  • South Africa
    CoL 38≈$66k US buying power
    R466kZAR
  • Brazil
    CoL 38≈$74k US buying power
    R$139kBRL
  • Mexico
    CoL 42≈$73k US buying power
    MX$527kMXN
  • Philippines
    CoL 34≈$41k US buying power
    ₱784kPHP
  • Malaysia
    CoL 40≈$56k US buying power
    RM 104kMYR

Low = 25th percentile · Bold = Median · High = 75th percentile · CoL = Cost of Living (US = 100)

Skills That Increase Software Engineer Salary

Certifications and expertise that command higher pay for this specific role.

  • AWS Solutions Architect+15–25%
  • Google Cloud Professional+12–20%
  • Kubernetes (CKA)+10–18%
  • System Design expertise+15–30%

Key Skills for Software Engineer

  • Python
  • JavaScript
  • AWS
  • Docker
  • System Design

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