The salary range for a software engineer in Georgia runs from $80,110 at the 10th percentile to $176,000 at the 90th percentile. When you set a budget for a new hire, the 25th-to-75th percentile band of $103,410 to $162,240 covers the majority of active candidates and gives you a practical anchoring range for most roles.
Software engineer salary in Georgia (2026)
In this article
The average software engineer salary in Georgia is $132,150 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $131,010 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Georgia employs 49,700 software engineers, and the $1,140 gap between the mean and median signals real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior engineers in Georgia typically earn around $80,110, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $176,000 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a software engineer hire in Georgia, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $131,010 |
Average Annual Salary | $132,150 |
vs. National Average | 10.8% below the national mean of $148,100 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 49,700 employed software engineers across Georgia.
See how Rippling handles payroll, benefits, and onboarding for your next software engineer hire.
Software engineer salary percentiles in Georgia
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $80,110 |
25th Percentile | $103,410 |
75th Percentile | $162,240 |
90th Percentile | $176,000 |
Employers hiring mid-level software engineers in Georgia should expect offers to land between $103,410 and $162,240, which covers the bulk of the active candidate market. Roles requiring deep specialization or significant experience will push toward and beyond the $176,000 threshold that senior engineers in Georgia typically reach.
Software engineer salary by city in Georgia
City | Average Annual Salary |
Atlanta | $135,870 |
Augusta | $124,680 |
Savannah | $122,580 |
Macon | $119,940 |
Columbus | $119,100 |
Employers hiring outside Atlanta can budget meaningfully less for software engineer roles without leaving the Georgia market. Atlanta's average of $135,870 sits $16,770 above Columbus at $119,100, so location is a real lever in compensation planning for distributed or multi-site teams.
How Georgia compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Georgia | $132,150 | $131,010 |
Virginia | $146,340 | $136,460 |
Florida | $137,010 | $130,980 |
North Carolina | $136,940 | $134,710 |
Texas | $136,450 | $132,150 |
Tennessee | $120,560 | $122,430 |
Georgia is a cost-effective market for software engineer hiring relative to most of its regional peers, which gives employers here a real budgeting advantage when competing for talent. Virginia's average of $146,340 and Florida's $137,010 both exceed Georgia's $132,150, so candidates relocating from those states may carry higher salary expectations. Tennessee is the one nearby state where compensation runs lower, with an average of $120,560.
Frequently asked questions about software engineer salary in Georgia
What is the salary range for a software engineer in Georgia?
What is the average software engineer salary in Georgia?
The average software engineer salary in Georgia is $132,150 per year, with a median of $131,010. The close alignment between the mean and median tells you the market is relatively balanced, though you should still expect variation based on seniority and specialization when you evaluate individual candidates.
How does Georgia compare to other states for software engineer salary?
Georgia's average of $132,150 sits below Virginia at $146,340, Florida at $137,010, North Carolina at $136,940, and Texas at $136,450. Hiring in Georgia gives you a cost advantage over most of those peer states, though candidates with experience in higher-paying markets may expect offers closer to those benchmarks.
What do the top-earning software engineers make in Georgia?
Software engineers at the 90th percentile in Georgia earn $176,000 per year. If you are competing for senior or highly specialized talent, plan for offers in that range and factor in that Atlanta's average of $135,870 reflects a concentration of higher-compensated roles that can push individual offers well above the statewide median.
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.
Author
The Rippling Team
Global HR, IT and Finance know-how directly from the Rippling team.
Hubs
See Rippling in action
Increase savings, automate busywork and make better decisions by managing HR, IT and Finance in one place.