6 answers
Ben
Student
Hayward, California
1
Question
Asked
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How much does a software engineer make a year?
I should want suggestions from someone that is a software engineer and does work in California. The Software Engineer i wanted to be might be developing games and apps for people.
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6 answers
Ashutosh Deshpande
Product Development Architect
10
Answers
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Updated
Ashutosh’s Answer
It's been a while since I worked in California. But based on friends I keep in touch the starting salaries in a decent software company in bay area is anywhere between 90K to 200K per year. It also depends on your aptitude and any relevant research / teaching work you may have done during grad/undergrad days.
Liana Creak
Talent Acquisition
4
Answers
Reading, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Liana’s Answer
Hi Ben,
I found that the best resource for salary benchmarking as a job seeker is Glassdoor as you can search for specific industry, skillset and location.
I hope this helps.
I found that the best resource for salary benchmarking as a job seeker is Glassdoor as you can search for specific industry, skillset and location.
I hope this helps.
Mani Kilaru
Solution Architect
2
Answers
Charlotte, North Carolina
Updated
Mani’s Answer
Some useful links to know how much a software engineer makes in a year
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary/df029197/New-York-NY
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/new-york-city-software-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM615_KO14,31.htm
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary/df029197/New-York-NY
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/new-york-city-software-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM615_KO14,31.htm
Dan Wolf
Retired Electrical/Software Engineer and part-time College Professor (BSEET and MS Engineering Management)
129
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Dan’s Answer
Check out the following link but understand that salaries vary widely due to employee seniority, company, job/position, industry, and location.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/what-can-we-learn-from-newly-enacted-salary-transparency-laws
As an example on how salaries can significantly vary:
I wrote embedded software in Pittsburgh, Pa and I understand that game developers usually earn less than embedded software developers however jobs in Pittsburgh pay (much) less than California because the cost of living is much lower. I have seen starting salaries as low as $60k and rarely see them as high as $100K.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/what-can-we-learn-from-newly-enacted-salary-transparency-laws
As an example on how salaries can significantly vary:
I wrote embedded software in Pittsburgh, Pa and I understand that game developers usually earn less than embedded software developers however jobs in Pittsburgh pay (much) less than California because the cost of living is much lower. I have seen starting salaries as low as $60k and rarely see them as high as $100K.
Roberto Fernandez
Servant Leader Apprentice
44
Answers
Miami, Florida
Updated
Roberto’s Answer
Hello Ben,
You can check for your self on this guide: https://www.roberthalf.com/salary-guide/specialization/technology , take it as guidance only, variances are huge, like some comments before have mentioned.
I would say that with some experience 100 K and with a lot of experience, double that maybe 200K and more.
It is a great field to be in, money is not the only thing that counts though. Being able to work with your brain alone, and possibly from anywhere in the world, are also great pluses.
Good Luck !
You can check for your self on this guide: https://www.roberthalf.com/salary-guide/specialization/technology , take it as guidance only, variances are huge, like some comments before have mentioned.
I would say that with some experience 100 K and with a lot of experience, double that maybe 200K and more.
It is a great field to be in, money is not the only thing that counts though. Being able to work with your brain alone, and possibly from anywhere in the world, are also great pluses.
Good Luck !
Eric Liszt
AVP Product Management, Product Development, Customer Support
11
Answers
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Updated
Eric’s Answer
HI Ben,
The answer to your question can vary widely depending on a lot of things. For example, differences can occur based on the phase of the company's business (startup vs. established). They can occur based on whether the company will have you developing software they use internally vs. software they sell as a product. It can vary based on how they allocate the compensation (Salary vs. stock vs. bonus). Most importantly it varies based on experience. One of the nice things happening now is that a lot of companies are starting to publish the various salary ranges for their positions due to new legal requirements recently passed in certain states.
In California, I can tell you we've had Software Engineer opportunities ranging from $58k all the way to over $250k. Salaries over $100k (before bonus and other variable compensation) are not at all uncommon.
On September 27, 2022, California Governor Newsom signed SB 1162 (the “Act”) into law, requiring employers with 15 or more employees to disclose salary ranges on their job postings. California is the latest jurisdiction to join in this growing trend, following Colorado, New York City, and Washington State. As such, your best bet would be to go to the websites of companies you admire and check out their Careers section. You'll be able to see the salary ranges for any jobs they've posted in California.
What other information would be helpful?
The answer to your question can vary widely depending on a lot of things. For example, differences can occur based on the phase of the company's business (startup vs. established). They can occur based on whether the company will have you developing software they use internally vs. software they sell as a product. It can vary based on how they allocate the compensation (Salary vs. stock vs. bonus). Most importantly it varies based on experience. One of the nice things happening now is that a lot of companies are starting to publish the various salary ranges for their positions due to new legal requirements recently passed in certain states.
In California, I can tell you we've had Software Engineer opportunities ranging from $58k all the way to over $250k. Salaries over $100k (before bonus and other variable compensation) are not at all uncommon.
On September 27, 2022, California Governor Newsom signed SB 1162 (the “Act”) into law, requiring employers with 15 or more employees to disclose salary ranges on their job postings. California is the latest jurisdiction to join in this growing trend, following Colorado, New York City, and Washington State. As such, your best bet would be to go to the websites of companies you admire and check out their Careers section. You'll be able to see the salary ranges for any jobs they've posted in California.
What other information would be helpful?