California leads all comparison states with a mean annual salary of $186,770 and a median of $174,410. Washington is the closest peer at a mean of $171,040, while Texas sits at the lower end of the group at $136,450. If you are benchmarking offers across a multi-state team, plan for California roles to carry a meaningful premium over most other markets.
Software engineer salary in California (2026)
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The average software engineer salary in California is $186,770 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $174,410 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. California employs 284,390 software engineers, and the $12,360 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior engineers in California typically earn around $105,060, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $272,670 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a software engineer hire, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $174,410 |
Average Annual Salary | $186,770 |
vs. National Average | 26.1% above the national mean of $148,100 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 284,390 employed software engineers across California.
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Software engineer salary percentiles in California
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $105,060 |
25th Percentile | $136,990 |
75th Percentile | $216,670 |
90th Percentile | $272,670 |
When setting an offer for a software engineer in California, the $136,990 to $216,670 band covering the 25th through 75th percentiles represents the range where most competitive offers will land. Senior specialists regularly reach $272,670 at the 90th percentile, so roles requiring deep expertise or specialized skills warrant budgeting well above the median.
Software engineer salary by city in California
City | Average Annual Salary |
San Jose | $221,710 |
San Francisco | $193,430 |
San Diego | $163,300 |
Los Angeles | $161,900 |
Sacramento | $152,930 |
Where you hire within California has a direct impact on your compensation budget. San Jose commands the highest average at $221,710, which is $68,780 more than Sacramento at $152,930, so employers hiring in the Bay Area should expect to set offers meaningfully higher than those hiring in inland or Southern California markets. Los Angeles and San Diego cluster close together, giving employers in those metros a similar compensation baseline to work from.
How California compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
California | $186,770 | $174,410 |
Washington | $171,040 | $166,540 |
New York | $163,820 | $166,180 |
Colorado | $150,940 | $138,390 |
Nevada | $137,350 | $128,810 |
Texas | $136,450 | $132,150 |
Employers hiring software engineers in California should expect to pay more than in any of the comparison states listed here. California's mean of $186,770 sits $15,730 above Washington, the next highest state, and $50,320 above Texas. If your team is distributed across multiple states, compensation structures will need to account for these differences rather than applying a single national rate.
Frequently asked questions about software engineer salary in California
How does California compare to other states for software engineer salary?
What do the top-earning software engineers make in California?
Software engineers at the 90th percentile in California earn $272,670 per year. The 75th percentile sits at $216,670, so the upper tier of the market spans a wide range depending on seniority and specialization. When competing for senior talent in California, budget above the median and expect candidates with deep expertise to anchor their expectations well above $216,670.
What is the salary range for a software engineer in California?
The salary range for a software engineer in California runs from $105,060 at the 10th percentile to $272,670 at the 90th percentile. The middle of the market, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, spans $136,990 to $216,670. Use the seniority and specialization of the specific role you are filling to determine where within that range your offer should land.
What is the average software engineer salary in California?
The average software engineer salary in California is $186,770 per year, which sits 26.1% above the national mean of $148,100. The median of $174,410 is a more grounded benchmark for most hiring decisions, since a smaller group of high earners pulls the average upward. For budgeting purposes, start with the median and adjust based on the experience level and specialization your role requires.
Software engineer salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 15-1252 (Software Developers).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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