Salaries/Frontend Engineer vs Backend Engineer

Frontend Engineer vs Backend Engineer Salary

Side-by-side 2026 salary comparison across entry-level, mid-level, and senior pay for Frontend Engineer and Backend Engineer roles in the US.

Bottom line (mid-level, US median)

Backend Engineers earn $11,000 (8% more) than Frontend Engineers on average.

Frontend Engineer vs Backend Engineer by City

LocationFrontend Engineer (Mid)Backend Engineer (Mid)Difference
New York$166K$182K$-16K
Los Angeles$150K$163K$-13K
Chicago$137K$149K$-12K
Dallas$130K$142K$-12K
Houston$129K$141K$-12K
Washington D.C.$156K$170K$-14K
Philadelphia$133K$145K$-12K
Atlanta$130K$142K$-12K

Engineering

Frontend Engineer

Build user interfaces with React, TypeScript, and modern web frameworks.

See Frontend Engineer salaries in all cities →

Engineering

Backend Engineer

Design APIs, services, and data layers powering production applications.

See Backend Engineer salaries in all cities →
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