Software Engineer Salary by City: 20 Cities Compared (2026)
From San Francisco to Singapore — what software engineers actually earn worldwide
Choosing where to work as a software engineer is one of the highest-leverage career decisions you can make. The same skill set that earns you €55K in one city could command $180K in another.
But raw salary numbers lie. Cost of living, taxes, visa requirements, and quality of life all matter. A $200K salary in San Francisco might leave you with less disposable income than €85K in Berlin.
We pulled real salary data across 20 major tech cities to help you compare properly.
The Global Salary Ranking
Here are median software engineer salaries by city, ranked from highest to lowest (mid-level, 3-5 years experience):
| City | Median Salary | Currency | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $165,000 | USD | $165,000 |
| New York | $155,000 | USD | $155,000 |
| Seattle | $152,000 | USD | $152,000 |
| Boston | $140,000 | USD | $140,000 |
| Austin | $135,000 | USD | $135,000 |
| Zurich | CHF 130,000 | CHF | $145,000 |
| Remote (US companies) | $140,000 | USD | $140,000 |
| Singapore | SGD 108,000 | SGD | $80,000 |
| Sydney | AUD 130,000 | AUD | $84,000 |
| Dubai | AED 300,000 | AED | $82,000 |
| London | £75,000 | GBP | $95,000 |
| Toronto | CAD 110,000 | CAD | $80,000 |
| Munich | €82,000 | EUR | $89,000 |
| Amsterdam | €75,000 | EUR | $81,000 |
| Paris | €62,000 | EUR | $67,000 |
| Berlin | €78,000 | EUR | $85,000 |
| Dublin | €72,000 | EUR | $78,000 |
| Stockholm | SEK 55,000/mo | SEK | $76,000 |
| Bangalore | ₹25,00,000 | INR | $30,000 |
| Warsaw | PLN 22,000/mo | PLN | $65,000 |
North America
San Francisco / Bay Area
Range: $130,000 – $220,000+Still the undisputed king of software engineering compensation. FAANG and well-funded startups regularly offer $180K+ base plus equity. But the math gets complicated fast: a one-bedroom apartment runs $3,000+/month, state income tax is 9.3-12.3%, and a modest lunch costs $20.
The question is not whether SF pays the most. It does. The question is whether the premium offsets the cost of living. For senior engineers at top companies, the answer is clearly yes. For mid-level engineers at non-FAANG companies, it is closer than you would think.
Explore Software Engineer salaries in San Francisco for the full breakdown.
New York
Range: $120,000 – $200,000+NYC has quietly become a serious tech hub. The finance-to-tech pipeline is real — Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Bloomberg hire thousands of engineers. Plus, Google, Meta, and Amazon have major NYC offices.
Living costs rival SF, but NYC offers something SF does not: a functional public transit system and walkable neighborhoods. No car needed, which saves $10K+/year.
See the Software Engineer salary data for New York.
Seattle
Range: $125,000 – $195,000Amazon and Microsoft dominate, but Stripe, Snowflake, and dozens of growth-stage companies create strong competition. The big advantage: no state income tax. A $150K salary in Seattle is equivalent to roughly $170K in San Francisco after state taxes.
Full Seattle software engineer salary data.
Europe
London
Range: £50,000 – £110,000London is Europe's highest-paying tech market in absolute terms, but the gap with the US is stark. A senior engineer in London earns roughly half of what the same person would make in SF.
That said, the NHS (free healthcare), 25+ days of holiday, and stronger worker protections change the calculation. London is particularly strong for fintech — Revolut, Monzo, Wise, and dozens of trading firms hire aggressively.
Check Software Engineer salaries in London.
Berlin
Range: €55,000 – €105,000Berlin is Europe's startup capital. The ecosystem is massive, the cost of living is lower than London or Munich, and the international community means many companies operate in English.
The catch: German bureaucracy is legendary, and the tax rate is high (42% marginal rate kicks in relatively early). But unlimited sick days, strong parental leave, and job security through German labor law are significant benefits.
Detailed Berlin software engineer salary data.
Paris
Range: €45,000 – €82,000France has an underrated tech scene. Station F (the world's largest startup campus) is here, and companies like Datadog, Criteo, and BlaBlaCar offer competitive packages. The "French Tech" ecosystem is growing fast.
Salaries are lower than London or Berlin on paper, but France offers excellent public services, generous vacation (5 weeks minimum + RTT days), and strong worker protections. The 35-hour work week is real at many companies.
See Software Engineer salaries in Paris for the full picture.
Munich
Range: €60,000 – €115,000Munich pays the highest base salaries in Germany. BMW, Siemens, and Allianz have massive tech operations. The automotive-to-software transition means embedded systems and autonomous driving engineers are in extremely high demand.
The downside: Munich rent rivals London, and the culture is more corporate than Berlin. But if salary is your priority within Germany, Munich is the clear winner.
Explore Munich software engineer salaries.
Asia-Pacific
Singapore
Range: SGD 72,000 – SGD 160,000Singapore is the tech hub of Southeast Asia. No capital gains tax, low income tax (0-22%), and English as an official language make it attractive for international engineers.
The catch: it is expensive. Rent for a one-bedroom in the central area runs SGD 2,500+/month. And the work culture tends toward longer hours than Europe.
Companies like Shopee, Grab, and GoTo have major engineering offices. US tech companies use Singapore as their APAC base.
Dubai
Range: AED 180,000 – AED 480,000Dubai's biggest draw is zero income tax. Your gross salary is your net salary. That alone makes mid-range Dubai salaries competitive with much higher nominal salaries elsewhere.
The tech scene is growing but still smaller than other hubs. Government digitization projects, fintech, and crypto companies drive most demand. The lifestyle is polarizing — extreme heat, car-dependent, but modern infrastructure.
See Software Engineer salaries in Dubai.
Sydney
Range: AUD 90,000 – AUD 170,000Australia's tech scene is small but well-paid. Atlassian and Canva are the headline names, but a growing ecosystem of startups and enterprise companies hire steadily. The superannuation system (mandatory 11.5% employer pension contribution) adds significant value on top of base salary.
Visa sponsorship is available but competitive. The distance from other tech hubs can feel isolating for career networking.
The Remote Option
Remote (US-based companies)
Range: $110,000 – $180,000The highest-leverage play for engineers outside the US: work remotely for a US company while living in a lower-cost city. A $140K remote salary from a San Francisco company goes very far in Lisbon, Berlin, or Bangkok.
But it is not easy to get. Competition is global, time zone overlap matters (most US remote roles want some Pacific or Eastern overlap), and contractor vs. employee distinctions affect taxes and benefits significantly.
Check Remote software engineer salary data.
Cost of Living Matters More Than Salary
The real comparison is not salary. It is disposable income after housing and taxes.
Here is a rough comparison for a mid-level engineer (single, no dependents):
| City | Gross Salary | Effective Tax | Rent (1BR) | Monthly Disposable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $165K | ~35% | $3,200 | ~$5,500 |
| Seattle | $152K | ~28% | $2,200 | ~$6,900 |
| London | £75K (~$95K) | ~30% | £1,800 | ~$3,100 |
| Berlin | €78K (~$85K) | ~38% | €1,100 | ~$3,200 |
| Paris | €62K (~$67K) | ~35% | €1,300 | ~$2,300 |
| Dubai | AED 300K (~$82K) | 0% | AED 6,000 | ~$4,800 |
| Singapore | SGD 108K (~$80K) | ~10% | SGD 2,500 | ~$3,500 |
The takeaway: Seattle and Dubai punch above their weight in disposable income. Paris and London are more expensive than they look. Berlin offers a surprisingly good balance of salary and affordability.
Which City Is Right for You?
It depends on what you optimize for:
Maximize raw earnings: San Francisco, New York, Seattle (in that order). Maximize disposable income: Seattle, Dubai, Remote-from-low-cost-city. Best work-life balance: Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm. European labor laws are not a joke. Best for career growth: San Francisco and New York offer unmatched networking density. London for fintech. Singapore for APAC exposure. Best for immigration: Canada (Toronto) and Germany (Berlin, Munich) have the most straightforward visa processes for tech workers. Best for saving money: Dubai (0% income tax) or remote-from-cheap-city.How to Check Your Market Value
Stop relying on outdated salary surveys. Use our salary explorer to look up your specific role and city — we cover 14 tech roles across all major hubs with real, current data.
Already working? Paste a job posting into CareerCheck's analysis tool to see exactly how your skills match and whether the salary is competitive for your experience level.
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