Minnesota's average software engineer salary of $127,530 places it below Illinois ($136,540) but above Michigan ($122,720), Wisconsin ($122,620), Ohio ($119,860), and Iowa ($118,780) among Midwest peers. The national mean sits at $148,100, so Minnesota runs 13.9% below the national figure. If you are weighing whether to hire in Minnesota versus a neighboring state, the cost difference is relatively modest except when comparing to Illinois.
Software engineer salary in Minnesota (2026)
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The average software engineer salary in Minnesota is $127,530 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $130,050 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Minnesota employs 35,890 software engineers, and the $2,520 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior engineers in Minnesota typically earn around $79,900, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $169,810 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 | $130,050 |
Average Annual Salary | $127,530 |
vs. National Average | 13.9% below the national mean of $148,100 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 35,890 employed software engineers across Minnesota.
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Software engineer salary percentiles in Minnesota
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $79,900 |
25th Percentile | $101,670 |
75th Percentile | $156,750 |
90th Percentile | $169,810 |
Employers hiring mid-level software engineers in Minnesota should expect offers in the $101,670 to $156,750 range to remain competitive across most of the market. Roles requiring deep specialization or significant experience will push compensation toward and beyond the $169,810 threshold that senior specialists in Minnesota typically reach.
Software engineer salary by city in Minnesota
City | Average Annual Salary |
Rochester | $138,520 |
Minneapolis | $130,410 |
Duluth | $112,370 |
St. Cloud | $109,920 |
Mankato | $103,330 |
Where you hire within Minnesota has a meaningful impact on what you will need to budget for a software engineer. Rochester leads the state at $138,520 average annual salary, while Mankato sits at $103,330, a difference of more than $35,000 that can shift your compensation strategy depending on where your team is based. Minneapolis, the largest labor market in the state, falls between those two at $130,410.
How Minnesota compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Minnesota | $127,530 | $130,050 |
Illinois | $136,540 | $132,110 |
Michigan | $122,720 | $125,570 |
Wisconsin | $122,620 | $122,660 |
Ohio | $119,860 | $114,090 |
Iowa | $118,780 | $114,890 |
Minnesota sits in the middle of the Midwest peer group, making it a moderately priced market for software engineer talent compared to Illinois but more expensive than Ohio and Iowa. Illinois leads the comparison at a $136,540 average, while Iowa comes in lowest at $118,780, giving employers with flexible location strategies a roughly $8,750 average cost difference to weigh. Minnesota's median of $130,050 is the highest in this peer group, which means the typical hire here costs more than the typical hire in any of the comparison states.
Frequently asked questions about software engineer salary in Minnesota
How does Minnesota compare to other states for software engineer salary?
What do the top-earning software engineers make in Minnesota?
Software engineers at the 90th percentile in Minnesota earn $169,810 per year. Senior specialists with deep technical expertise or leadership responsibilities are the candidates most likely to command compensation at or above that level. Budget accordingly if the role you are filling requires specialized skills that put it in the top tier of the market.
What is the salary range for a software engineer in Minnesota?
The salary range for a software engineer in Minnesota runs from $79,900 at the 10th percentile to $169,810 at the 90th percentile. The middle of the market, between the 25th and 75th percentiles, spans $101,670 to $156,750. Use the seniority and specialization of your open role to determine where within that range your offer should land.
What is the average software engineer salary in Minnesota?
The average software engineer salary in Minnesota is $127,530 per year, with a median of $130,050. The median is slightly higher than the mean, which tells you the distribution is fairly balanced without extreme outliers pulling the average far above typical pay. For most hiring decisions, anchoring your initial offer range to the $130,050 median gives you a realistic baseline for what candidates in this market expect.
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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