Technology · Level IC1 · Salary
Junior Software Engineer salary
Typical total compensation (US national)
$106,000–$144,000
Base
$110,000
Bonus
$6,000
Equity (annual)
$8,000
Indicative, sourced — not a guarantee. BLS OEWS May 2025 Software Developers (15-1252) lower band p10 $82,460 / p25 $105,210; entry sits p10-p25; Levels.fyi new-grad ~$140k total incl. sign-on/stock; recruitingfromscratch 2026 startup guide
Pay by metro — nominal vs cost-adjusted
“Real” adjusts for cost of living, so a high headline number in an expensive metro can be worth less in practice. Ranked by real pay.
| Metro | Nominal | Real (cost-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $130,200 | $127,647 |
| Remote (US national) | $124,000 | $124,000 |
| Atlanta | $121,520 | $124,000 |
| Seattle | $146,320 | $121,933 |
| Chicago | $124,000 | $114,815 |
| Denver | $124,000 | $112,727 |
| Boston | $133,920 | $99,200 |
| New York City | $146,320 | $94,400 |
| Los Angeles | $133,920 | $92,359 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $155,000 | $86,111 |
Grow this number — your highest-value routes
Staff ML Engineerup to $585,000
$124,000 now → $530,000 in 11 yrs
Senior Engineering Managerup to $455,000
$124,000 now → $415,000 in 10 yrs
Staff Engineerup to $425,000
$124,000 now → $390,000 in 9 yrs
Senior ML Engineerup to $410,000
$124,000 now → $365,000 in 7 yrs
Senior Product Managerup to $345,000
$124,000 now → $310,000 in 10 yrs