Virginia's average software engineer salary of $146,340 places it near the top of its regional peer group, trailing only Maryland at $151,560 among the states in this comparison. North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee all come in below Virginia's mean, so employers hiring in Virginia should plan for compensation expectations that run higher than most nearby markets. If you are evaluating multi-state hiring, Virginia's figures are a useful upper-range benchmark for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
Software engineer salary in Virginia (2026)
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The average software engineer salary in Virginia is $146,340 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $136,460 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Virginia employs 88,280 software engineers, and the $9,880 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior engineers in Virginia typically earn around $83,350, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $211,930 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a software engineer hire in Virginia, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $136,460 |
Average Annual Salary | $146,340 |
vs. National Average | 1.2% below the national mean of $148,100 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 88,280 employed software engineers across Virginia.
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Software engineer salary percentiles in Virginia
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $83,350 |
25th Percentile | $106,600 |
75th Percentile | $171,090 |
90th Percentile | $211,930 |
Employers setting offers for software engineers in Virginia should expect a wide range depending on seniority, with entry-level roles clustering near $83,350 and experienced specialists reaching $211,930 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 toward the upper end of this range.
Software engineer salary by city in Virginia
City | Average Annual Salary |
Arlington | $153,100 |
Richmond | $139,340 |
Charlottesville | $131,360 |
Virginia Beach | $129,340 |
Roanoke | $118,360 |
Where you hire in Virginia has a direct impact on your compensation budget, with a $34,740 spread between the highest and lowest paying markets in the state. Arlington commands the highest average at $153,100, driven by its proximity to the Washington D.C. federal contracting market, while Roanoke averages $118,360. If your team is remote-friendly or distributed, hiring outside the Arlington metro can meaningfully reduce your software engineer payroll costs.
How Virginia compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Virginia | $146,340 | $136,460 |
Maryland | $151,560 | $138,680 |
North Carolina | $136,940 | $134,710 |
Georgia | $132,150 | $131,010 |
Pennsylvania | $128,110 | $126,550 |
Tennessee | $120,560 | $122,430 |
Virginia sits near the top of this regional peer group, which means employers here should expect compensation expectations to run higher than in most neighboring states. Maryland is the only state in this comparison that outpaces Virginia, with a mean of $151,560 versus Virginia's $146,340. States like Pennsylvania at $128,110 and Tennessee at $120,560 offer lower average costs, which may be relevant if your hiring strategy includes remote or distributed roles.
Frequently asked questions about software engineer salary in Virginia
How does Virginia compare to other states for software engineer salary?
What do the top-earning software engineers make in Virginia?
Software engineers at the 90th percentile in Virginia earn $211,930 per year. The 75th percentile sits at $171,090, so the jump from the upper-middle tier to the top of the market is substantial. When competing for senior or highly specialized talent, budget well above the median and expect candidates at this level to have multiple competing offers.
What is the salary range for a software engineer in Virginia?
The published salary range for software engineers in Virginia runs from $83,350 at the 10th percentile to $211,930 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile sits at $106,600 and the 75th at $171,090, giving you four clear anchors to use when calibrating offers by seniority. For most mid-level hires, the $106,600 to $171,090 band is the most practical budgeting range.
What is the average software engineer salary in Virginia?
The average software engineer salary in Virginia is $146,340 per year, with a median of $136,460. The gap between those two figures reflects a segment of higher-compensated roles pulling the mean above the midpoint, so the median is the better anchor for typical hiring decisions. For most roles, setting your initial offer range around the median and adjusting upward for seniority or specialization is a practical approach.
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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