Full Stack Engineer Salary Seattle 2026: What to Expect
Amazon, Microsoft, Expedia, and the zero-income-tax advantage — what Seattle full stack engineers actually earn in 2026
# Full Stack Engineer Salary Seattle 2026: What to Expect
Seattle has quietly become one of the strongest full stack engineering markets in North America. With Amazon and Microsoft anchoring the market, a cluster of high-growth companies like Expedia, Zillow, Tableau, and Redfin providing mid-tier demand, and Washington State's structural zero-income-tax advantage, full stack engineers in Seattle can build compensation packages that rival — and often exceed — San Francisco on a take-home basis.
This guide covers exactly what full stack engineers earn in Seattle in 2026, broken down by seniority, employer, and technology stack — with a full city-to-city comparison, RSU structure analysis, and negotiation context.
Full Stack Engineer Salary Ranges in Seattle 2026
Seattle's full stack engineering salaries span a wide range depending on seniority and employer type. Here are the current market ranges for base salary:
| Level | Experience | Base Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | 0–2 years | $90K–$115K |
| Mid-Level | 2–5 years | $115K–$150K |
| Senior | 5–9 years | $145K–$190K |
| Staff / Principal | 9+ years | $180K–$230K+ |
Total compensation at senior and staff levels can significantly exceed base salary when RSUs and annual bonuses are included. Senior engineers at Amazon or Microsoft with stable refresh grant histories commonly report total comp in the $200K–$280K range.
Top Seattle Employers for Full Stack Engineers
Seattle's tech market is anchored by a mix of hyperscalers, established tech companies, and high-growth product companies, each with distinct compensation approaches:
Amazon — The largest tech employer in Seattle. Full stack engineers at Amazon work across AWS console products, consumer retail, advertising platforms, and internal tooling. Compensation is RSU-heavy; base salaries are capped around $175K even at senior levels, with the difference made up in equity grants. Microsoft — Microsoft's Redmond campus employs thousands of full stack engineers across Azure, Microsoft 365, Teams, Xbox, and Bing. Known for structured compensation bands, quarterly RSU vesting, and strong work-life balance compared to Amazon. Google / Kirkland — Google's Kirkland office focuses on cloud platform, maps, and search engineering. Pays at the top of the Seattle market with a reputation for excellent benefits and strong equity programs. Meta — Meta's Bellevue office focuses on infrastructure, Reality Labs, and ads engineering. Total compensation packages rival Google's at senior and staff levels. Expedia — One of Seattle's largest non-hyperscaler tech employers. Full stack engineers work across travel platform, recommendation systems, and B2B tooling. Compensation sits 10–20% below FAANG but with meaningful equity upside. Zillow — Real estate tech leader with strong full stack engineering culture, particularly in React and Node.js. Senior engineers earn $140K–$175K with RSU packages layered on top. Tableau (Salesforce) — Tableau's Seattle presence focuses on data visualization and analytics product development. Salesforce integration has brought compensation bands closer to enterprise tech norms. Salesforce — Strong presence via Tableau. Full stack engineers work on CRM integrations, analytics, and platform tooling. Competitive total compensation with Salesforce equity. T-Mobile — T-Mobile's Bellevue headquarters has expanded its tech hiring significantly. Full stack engineers work on digital products, network APIs, and customer-facing platforms. Base salaries typically run $120K–$175K. Redfin — Seattle-based real estate platform with a strong engineering culture. Full stack engineers focus on property data, search, and transaction tooling. Compensation is competitive within the non-FAANG tier.Technology Stack Premiums in Seattle
Not all full stack experience is priced equally. Seattle's market reflects demand from hyperscalers and product companies with cloud-native architectures:
Seattle vs San Francisco vs New York vs Remote
| Market | Junior Base | Senior Base | State Income Tax | Relative Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $90K–$115K | $145K–$190K | 0% | Baseline |
| San Francisco | $105K–$135K | $160K–$220K | Up to 13.3% | Often neutral or negative vs Seattle |
| New York City | $100K–$130K | $155K–$210K | Up to 10.9% + NYC tax | Roughly neutral to slightly below Seattle |
| Remote (top-tier) | $80K–$105K | $130K–$175K | Varies | Strong if in low-tax state |
Washington State's zero income tax is Seattle's structural compensation advantage. A San Francisco base salary of $195K appears stronger than Seattle's $170K — until California's 9.3–13.3% state income tax is applied. For a senior engineer, that gap often represents $15K–$25K per year in additional tax. On a take-home basis, the Seattle package frequently wins.
For full stack salary context in European markets, see our Full Stack Engineer Salary Amsterdam 2026 and Full Stack Engineer Salary London 2026 guides.
Amazon vs Microsoft: RSU and Equity Structure
Understanding equity structure is essential for evaluating total compensation at Seattle's two largest tech employers.
Amazon uses a back-loaded RSU vesting schedule: 5% in year one, 15% in year two, 40% in year three, and 40% in year four. This structure front-loads risk for the employee — the first two years of a grant deliver modest equity value, while the bulk vests in years three and four. Amazon compensates for this with a "sign-on bridge" bonus paid in years one and two. Senior engineers with established refresh grants smooth out this curve significantly; new hires feel it most acutely. Total compensation for a mid-level SDE II in Seattle typically runs $170K–$210K including the vesting value of the initial grant. Microsoft vests RSUs quarterly after a one-year cliff, creating a more predictable income stream. Microsoft also ties additional stock awards to performance review outcomes, making compensation somewhat transparent and merit-linked. The quarterly cadence of vesting makes Microsoft RSUs more immediately liquid than Amazon's structure. A mid-level SWE II at Microsoft in Seattle typically earns $160K–$195K total comp.The practical difference: Amazon's structure rewards tenure — engineers who stay through years three and four extract the most value. Microsoft's structure is more consistent and easier to plan around. Engineers who prioritize liquidity and predictability often prefer Microsoft; those optimizing for raw long-term comp potential lean Amazon.
Washington State's Zero Income Tax: Dollar-Value Examples
Washington State levies no state income tax — one of only nine states in the US without one. For full stack engineers evaluating Seattle against other markets, this advantage has real dollar value:
A senior full stack engineer earning $165K base in Seattle pays $0 in state income tax. The same engineer earning $185K in San Francisco would pay approximately $14,800–$17,600 in California state income tax (at 9.3%–10.3% on income above $125K). The Seattle engineer takes home more despite earning $20K less on paper.
At the staff level, a Seattle engineer earning $210K retains the full amount above federal tax. An equivalent New York City staff engineer at $225K faces New York State tax (~9.65% above $215K) plus New York City tax (~3.88%), reducing take-home by roughly $18K–$22K annually compared to Seattle.
Over a five-year tenure, Washington's tax advantage accumulates to $55K–$100K in additional take-home pay at senior and staff levels — meaningful enough to factor into any offer comparison.
Negotiating Full Stack Salaries in Seattle
Seattle's market is competitive for experienced full stack engineers with cloud-native stack expertise. A few principles that consistently hold:
Negotiate total comp, not just base. At Amazon especially, the conversation must focus on RSU grant size and the sign-on bridge, not base salary alone. Amazon's base is effectively capped around $175K; the variable component is the lever. Level correctly. Amazon's leveling system (SDE I / SDE II / SDE III / Principal) and Microsoft's (SWE 59–63) have significant comp implications. Coming in one level higher can be worth $30K–$60K in annual total comp. Research levels carefully before discussing them. Reference the tax advantage. When evaluating competing offers from California or New York, apply the income tax delta before comparing. This reframes the Seattle offer as richer than it appears on paper. Use competing offers. Seattle full stack engineers with TypeScript, React, and AWS experience receive consistent inbound demand. A competing offer adds 10–20% to final packages in most cases.For a full global comparison of full stack engineer salaries, see our Full Stack Developer Salary Guide 2026. For cross-role Seattle compensation benchmarks, see Tech Salaries in Seattle 2026.
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Seattle in 2026 remains one of the strongest markets for full stack engineers in North America. The combination of hyperscaler demand from Amazon and Microsoft, a growing cluster of high-growth product companies, zero state income tax, and a deep React/TypeScript/AWS ecosystem means experienced engineers can build exceptional compensation packages — often exceeding San Francisco on a take-home basis.
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