Software engineer salary ranges in Seattle
What open software engineering postings in Seattle say they pay: the top and the low end of the range each one states, in yearly dollars.
By level
How far the posted top moves from one level to the next, for software engineering in Seattle.
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Junior61 postings$243,000$156k–$243k
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Senior1,191 postings$227,000$202k–$235k
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Staff and principal648 postings$275,000$246k–$303k
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Manager and above219 postings$275,000$242k–$300k
Best-paying companies in Seattle
Ranked by the median top of their open software engineering postings in Seattle, among companies with at least three that state pay.
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Anthropic88 with pay$485,000$405k–$485k
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OpenAI15 with pay$445,000$355k–$445k
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xAI7 with pay$440,000$440k–$440k
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Block3 with pay$395,000$395k–$405k
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LinkedIn4 with pay$393,000$358k–$416k
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Pinterest17 with pay$365,000$286k–$390k
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Nuance Labs6 with pay$350,000$313k–$388k
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Snowflake23 with pay$339,000$288k–$339k
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Warner Bros. Discovery3 with pay$308,000$290k–$308k
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Waymo4 with pay$304,000$285k–$325k
Software engineer pay by place
The same work in every place with enough postings, highest median first; Seattle is marked.
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SF Bay Area13,945 postings$250,000$204k–$300k
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New York5,475 postings$220,000$180k–$265k
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Remote10,935 postings$205,000$160k–$257k
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Seattle4,023 postings$205,000$185k–$250k
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Boston1,594 postings$195,000$155k–$229k
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Austin1,176 postings$195,000$155k–$240k
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All of the US85,409 postings$190,000$145k–$238k
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Washington DC2,227 postings$185,000$155k–$225k
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San Diego1,433 postings$185,000$150k–$220k
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Los Angeles1,972 postings$182,000$150k–$220k
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Dallas1,023 postings$182,000$145k–$219k
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Denver975 postings$175,000$140k–$206k
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Raleigh–Durham236 postings$173,000$135k–$202k
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Chicago1,225 postings$171,000$130k–$216k
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Miami131 postings$170,000$130k–$200k
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Atlanta461 postings$169,000$135k–$206k
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Portland108 postings$155,000$120k–$208k
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Salt Lake City179 postings$150,000$113k–$190k
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Philadelphia119 postings$135,000$104k–$177k
Using these numbers
- Before you apply, check where the posting's own range sits against the middle half here. A range far below it is worth a question before you spend an afternoon on the application.
- When they ask what you expect, a figure inside the middle half for your level is one the market has already posted. Name the top of the posting's range if your experience matches what it asks for.
- Remember what a top is: the most a company says it may pay for the role. Offers land anywhere in the range, and equity and bonus are not in it.
Questions
How much do software engineer jobs pay in Seattle?
Open software engineering postings in Seattle that state pay post a median top of $205,000 a year; the middle half runs from $185,000 to $250,000, and the median low end of the ranges is $144,000. That is from 4,023 postings as of October 14, 2026.
How does the pay change with level?
For software engineering postings in Seattle, the median posted top is $243,000 for junior, $227,000 for senior, $275,000 for staff and principal, $275,000 for manager and above.
Which companies post the most for software engineering in Seattle?
Among companies with at least three postings that state pay, Anthropic ($485,000), OpenAI ($445,000), xAI ($440,000) post the highest median tops.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the pay ranges employers state in their own open job postings, which DonutApply reads from company job boards and public job feeds every day. They are what a company says it may pay for the role, not salaries anyone reported.
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