Software Engineer Salary Ranges
Thinking of becoming a software engineer? Here's what you can expect to earn in this top job.
By Jennifer Wegerer
Jobs in computer software engineering continue to experience outstanding growth. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that the field will add over 1,200,000 new jobs by the year 2018. But exceptional job growth is just one of the many reasons to start a career in software engineering. Autonomy, creativity, cutting-edge technology—all of these draw students to software engineering as a profession. And a software engineer salary isn't too bad either.
Software Engineer Salary Rankings
Software engineering jobs rank number one on CNNMoney.com’s list of the best jobs in America. This list, based on a profession’s salary and job prospects, shows that the average software engineer salary is $80,427. Further, CNNMoney.com finds that 75 percent of software engineers earn salaries over $67,362, and 50 percent make more than $76,294.
The BLS shows that compared to other engineering fields, software engineer salary ranges fall in the top five, with aerospace, computer hardware, nuclear and petroleum engineering holding the top four spots. However, only biomedical engineering outpaces software engineering in terms of job growth over the coming decade.
Software Engineer Salary Analysis
Breaking down the salary potential for the two main branches of software engineering, the BLS indicates that a systems software engineer’s salary is slightly higher than an application software engineer’s salary. Specifically, systems engineers earn median annual incomes of $92,430, compared to the application software engineer’s median salary of $85,430.
Industries that pay software engineers top salaries include scientific research and development services, software publishers, and computer systems designers. When it comes to location, you’ll find the highest concentration of software engineers on the east and west coasts, with Massachusetts, California, Virginia and New Jersey paying top software engineer salaries.
Of course, location may not matter as much to future software engineers as does using their creativity and technical expertise to make their mark at a particular company. Among the most popular employers for software engineers, Microsoft takes first place when it comes to software engineer salaries, according to PayScale.com. Next in line are IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Cisco Systems.
Software Engineer Salary Prospects Match Your Creativity and Innovation
If a career in software engineering is in your future, you can anticipate strong salary prospects to match the technology expertise, creativity and innovation that you can bring to the table. With so many professions suffering through tough economic times, the fact that software engineering jobs continue to experience outstanding growth indicates the long-term rewards of joining this exciting and dynamic profession.
Learn more about careers in software engineering. Then browse our comprehensive directory of software engineering degree programs, and request more information from the schools that interest you most.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010; Money.cnn.com; PayScale.com
