50 Highest-Paying Cities in the United States for Software Engineers

Believe it or not: The best-paying city for software engineers is not San Francisco, nor is it Seattle.

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 San Francisco Bay Area 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.

Here are the top 50 best-paying cities for software engineers, programmers and developers in the United States, according to the more than 5 million verified professionals on the professional social network Blind:

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.