Technology · Level IC2 · Salary
Software Engineer salary
Typical total compensation (US national)
$140,000–$204,000
Base
$136,000
Bonus
$12,000
Equity (annual)
$20,000
Indicative, sourced — not a guarantee. BLS OEWS May 2025 Software Developers (15-1252): p25 $105,210 / p50 $135,980 / p75 $171,980 (via O*NET); Levels.fyi SWE title median total ~$192k
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 | $176,400 | $172,941 |
| Remote (US national) | $168,000 | $168,000 |
| Atlanta | $164,640 | $168,000 |
| Seattle | $198,240 | $165,200 |
| Chicago | $168,000 | $155,556 |
| Denver | $168,000 | $152,727 |
| Boston | $181,440 | $134,400 |
| New York City | $198,240 | $127,897 |
| Los Angeles | $181,440 | $125,131 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $210,000 | $116,667 |
Grow this number — your highest-value routes
Director of Engineeringup to $660,000
$168,000 now → $610,000 in 12 yrs
Principal Engineerup to $620,000
$168,000 now → $575,000 in 12 yrs
Staff ML Engineerup to $585,000
$168,000 now → $530,000 in 9 yrs
Group Product Managerup to $475,000
$168,000 now → $435,000 in 11 yrs
Senior Engineering Managerup to $455,000
$168,000 now → $415,000 in 8 yrs