Believe it or not: The best-paying city for is not San Francisco, nor is it Seattle. software engineers Blind considered the annual base pay and the total compensation package to determine the best-paying cities for software engineers. A software engineer’s total compensation typically includes an annual salary and stock-based compensation, plus a cash bonus at some select companies. Blind found that while many of the best-paying cities for software engineers are in the and its Silicon Valley, cities in Colorado and the East Coast of the United States are not too far behind. The compensation data suggests the tech industry is expanding beyond the top tech hubs. San Francisco Bay Area Here are the top 50 best-paying cities for software engineers, and developers in the United States, according to the more than 5 million verified professionals on the Blind: programmers professional social network 1. Los Gatos, Calif. Average total compensation: $500,449 Median total compensation: $475,000 Average salary: $470,015 Median base salary: $451,000 2. Menlo Park, Calif. Average total compensation: $328,423 Median total compensation: $297,000 Average salary: $167,004 Median base salary: $165,000 3. Cupertino, Calif. Average total compensation: $279,391 Median total compensation: $255,850 Average salary: $165,753 Median base salary: $165,000 4. San Bruno, Calif. Average total compensation: $278,368 Median total compensation: $225,90 Average salary: $161,269 Median base salary: $149,500 5. Mountain View, Calif. Average total compensation: $275,181 Median total compensation: $242,000 Average salary: $160,790 Median base salary: $156,000 6. Kirkland, Wash. Average total compensation: $267,167 Median total compensation: $241,222 Average salary: $151,495 Median base salary: $145,000 7. Oakland, Calif. Average total compensation: $266,869 Median total compensation: $197,750 Average salary: $192,240 Median base salary: $168,750 8. San Francisco Average total compensation: $265,050 Median total compensation: $225,000 Average salary: $165,042 Median base salary: $160,200 9. Sunnyvale, Calif. Average total compensation: $260,048 Median total compensation: $238,000 Average salary: $160,499 Median base salary: $160,000 10. Santa Monica, Calif. Average total compensation: $245,331 Median total compensation: $196,750 Average salary: $147,735 Median base salary: $145,000 11. Seattle Average total compensation: $242,501 Median total compensation: $206,900 Average salary: $148,636 Median base salary: $145,000 12. Palo Alto, Calif. Average total compensation: $234,739 Median total compensation: $200,000 Average salary: $157,488 Median base salary: $154,000 13. San Mateo, Calif. Average total compensation: $234,066 Median total compensation: $187,875 Average salary: $158,629 Median base salary: $155,500 14. Pleasanton, Calif. Average total compensation: $225,058 Median total compensation: $202,000 Average salary: $150,887 Median base salary: $150,000 15. New York Average total compensation: $223,715 Median total compensation: $194,050 Average salary: $156,656 Median base salary: $155,000 16. Foster City, Calif. Average total compensation: $220,293 Median total compensation: $190,000 Average salary: $158,319 Median base salary: $148,500 17. Fremont, Calif. Average total compensation: $218,913 Median total compensation: $180,000 Average salary: $144,638 Median base salary: $142,500 18. Bellevue, Wash. Average total compensation: $214,670 Median total compensation: $186,000 Average salary: $145,219 Median base salary: $137,000 19. Santa Clara, Calif. Average total compensation: $214,168 Median total compensation: $197,000 Average salary: $153,885 Median base salary: $150,000 20. Boulder, Colo. Average total compensation: $213,656 Median total compensation: $179,500 Average salary: $138,864 Median base salary: $135,000 21. San Jose, Calif. Average total compensation: $210,801 Median total compensation: $183,000 Average salary: $153,390 Median base salary: $145,000 22. Cambridge, Mass. Average total compensation: $208,279 Median total compensation: $185,000 Average salary: $134,114 Median base salary: $130,000 23. Redwood City, Calif. Average total compensation: $207,955 Median total compensation: $190,000 Average salary: $156,248 Median base salary: $151,000 24. Los Angeles Average total compensation: $204,251 Median total compensation: $167,588 Average salary: $147,994 Median base salary: $140,000 25. Redmond, Wash. Average total compensation: $201,645 Median total compensation: $190,000 Average salary: $138,442 Median base salary: $137,000 26. Pittsburgh Average total compensation: $199,480 Median total compensation: $164,000 Average salary: $134,519 Median base salary: $135,000 27. Princeton, N.J. Average total compensation: $194,653 Median total compensation: $200,000 Average salary: $167,312 Median base salary: $162,500 28. Tempe, Ariz. Average total compensation: $190,575 Median total compensation: $158,400 Average salary: $132,223 Median base salary: $132,000 29. Milpitas, Calif. Average total compensation: $188,146 Median total compensation: $165,750 Average salary: $154,073 Median base salary: $138,000 30. Portland, Ore. Average total compensation: $182,152 Median total compensation: $150,500 Average salary: $143,567 Median base salary: $132,250 31. Herndon, Va. Average total compensation: $177,288 Median total compensation: $157,000 Average salary: $132,818 Median base salary: $137,000 32. Irvine, Calif. Average total compensation: $175,532 Median total compensation: $160,000 Average salary: $134,278 Median base salary: $133,600 33. Chicago Average total compensation: $173,991 Median total compensation: $136,400 Average salary: $128,811 Median base salary: $121,000 34. Boston Average total compensation: $173,659 Median total compensation: $155,000 Average salary: $133,189 Median base salary: $130,000 35. Austin, Texas Average total compensation: $171,981 Median total compensation: $151,843 Average salary: $128,524 Median base salary: $127,000 36. Washington, D.C. Average total compensation: $168,767 Median total compensation: $150,082 Average salary: $133,192 Median base salary: $130,000 37. Denver Average total compensation: $168,395 Median total compensation: $141,000 Average salary: $127,281 Median base salary: $125,500 38. San Diego Average total compensation: $166,069 Median total compensation: $151,750 Average salary: $128,341 Median base salary: $121,372 39. Milwaukee Average total compensation: $164,019 Median total compensation: $112,500 Average salary: $156,396 Median base salary: $104,000 40. Nashville, Tenn. Average total compensation: $158,024 Median total compensation: $140,000 Average salary: $124,996 Median base salary: $118,500 41. Miami Average total compensation: $157,855 Median total compensation: $133,325 Average salary: $126,879 Median base salary: $124,500 42. Salt Lake City Average total compensation: $157,607 Median total compensation: $127,000 Average salary: $115,642 Median base salary: $115,000 43. Arlington, Va. Average total compensation: $156,087 Median total compensation: $141,000 Average salary: $126,994 Median base salary: $125,500 44. Indianapolis Average total compensation: $154,989 Median total compensation: $112,750 Average salary: $114,071 Median base salary: $100,000 45. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Average total compensation: $153,308 Median total compensation: $135,208 Average salary: $118,037 Median base salary: $113,500 46. Atlanta Average total compensation: $152,875 Median total compensation: $138,250 Average salary: $119,843 Median base salary: $120,000 47. Waltham, Mass. Average total compensation: $152,859 Median total compensation: $146,500 Average salary: $133,354 Median base salary: $133,000 48. Richmond, Va. Average total compensation: $150,660 Median total compensation: $123,000 Average salary: $130,416 Median base salary: $110,000 49. Charlotte, N.C. Average total compensation: $150,540 Median total compensation: $133,825 Average salary: $123,945 Median base salary: $121,500 50. Newark, N.J. Average total compensation: $148,786 Median total compensation: $138,000 Average salary: $121,288 Median base salary: $125,000 Methodology Blind analyzed the base salaries and total compensation of software engineers in the United States on its platform. Cities were ranked by the average total compensation, including annual base salary and, if applicable, stock-based compensation and cash bonuses. All data is self-reported by verified professionals on the professional social network Blind. Also published on Teamblind's blog.

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