Salaries/Software Engineer vs Senior Software Engineer

Software Engineer vs Senior Software Engineer Salary

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

Bottom line (mid-level, US median)

Senior Software Engineers earn $46,000 (26% more) than Software Engineers on average.

Software Engineer vs Senior Software Engineer by City

LocationSoftware Engineer (Mid)Senior Software Engineer (Mid)Difference
New York$179K$241K$-62K
Los Angeles$161K$216K$-55K
Chicago$147K$197K$-50K
Dallas$140K$188K$-48K
Houston$139K$186K$-47K
Washington D.C.$168K$226K$-58K
Philadelphia$143K$192K$-49K
Atlanta$140K$188K$-48K

Engineering

Software Engineer

Design, build, and maintain software systems across the full stack.

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Engineering

Senior Software Engineer

Lead complex software projects, mentor engineers, and own architectural decisions.

See Senior Software Engineer salaries in all cities →

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