Maryland's mean software engineer salary of $151,560 places it above Virginia, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania among nearby states, but below New York at $163,820. For employers hiring in the mid-Atlantic region, Maryland represents a mid-tier compensation market. You can use Virginia's mean of $146,340 as a useful lower anchor if you are benchmarking offers for candidates who might consider roles across state lines.
Software engineer salary in Maryland (2026)
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The average software engineer salary in Maryland is $151,560 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $138,680 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Maryland employs 31,350 software engineers, and the $12,880 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior engineers in Maryland typically earn around $87,690, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $222,610 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 | $138,680 |
Average Annual Salary | $151,560 |
vs. National Average | 2.3% above the national mean of $148,100 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 31,350 employed software engineers across Maryland.
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Software engineer salary percentiles in Maryland
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $87,690 |
25th Percentile | $109,120 |
75th Percentile | $178,000 |
90th Percentile | $222,610 |
Employers setting offers for software engineers in Maryland should expect a wide range depending on seniority, with entry-level roles clustering near $87,690 and experienced specialists reaching $222,610 at the 90th percentile. Anchoring your offer to the 25th or 50th percentile works well for early-career hires, while senior or specialized roles will require budgeting closer to the 75th percentile and above.
Software engineer salary by city in Maryland
City | Average Annual Salary |
Baltimore | $153,910 |
Washington DC | $153,100 |
Salisbury | $124,920 |
Hagerstown | $118,410 |
Location meaningfully affects what you will need to budget for a software engineer hire in Maryland. Baltimore and Washington DC both average above $153,000, while Hagerstown averages $118,410, a difference of more than $35,000 compared to the Baltimore metro. If your role is remote or based in a lower-cost market, you have room to set offers below the statewide average without falling outside competitive range for that geography.
How Maryland compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Maryland | $151,560 | $138,680 |
New York | $163,820 | $166,180 |
Virginia | $146,340 | $136,460 |
District of Columbia | $144,430 | $136,880 |
New Jersey | $143,800 | $135,940 |
Pennsylvania | $128,110 | $126,550 |
Maryland sits in the middle of the regional market, making it a reasonable place to hire software engineers without facing the premium compensation pressure seen in New York. Maryland's mean of $151,560 runs above Virginia ($146,340), the District of Columbia ($144,430), and New Jersey ($143,800), so candidates moving between these markets will have similar expectations. Pennsylvania is the most cost-effective comparison state at a mean of $128,110, which may be relevant if you are evaluating distributed or hybrid hiring across the region.
Frequently asked questions about software engineer salary in Maryland
How does Maryland compare to other states for software engineer salary?
What do the top-earning software engineers make in Maryland?
Software engineers at the 90th percentile in Maryland earn $222,610 per year. Roles at this level typically involve deep specialization, technical leadership, or work in high-demand sectors such as defense, cybersecurity, or federal contracting. When competing for senior talent in Maryland, plan your offer range to approach or exceed this threshold to remain credible to experienced candidates.
What is the salary range for a software engineer in Maryland?
The salary range for software engineers in Maryland runs from $87,690 at the 10th percentile to $222,610 at the 90th percentile. The middle of the market sits between $109,120 at the 25th percentile and $178,000 at the 75th percentile, which is where most competitive offers for mid-level engineers will land. Use the seniority and specialization of your specific role to determine where within that band your offer should sit.
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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