Software Engineer Salary in Seattle 2026: $165K-$285K (Amazon, Microsoft & Beyond)

Seattle has quietly become one of the most lucrative cities in the world for software engineers - and not just because of Amazon and Microsoft. Washington state's zero income tax, a booming startup ecosystem, and a growing cluster of Big Tech offices have made the Pacific Northwest a genuine competitor to San Francisco for engineering talent. In 2026, software engineers in Seattle earn $165K-$285K in total compensation depending on level, employer, and specialization.

This guide breaks down what you can actually expect to earn at each career stage, which employers pay the most, how Seattle's tax advantage compounds over a career, and which technical skills move the needle on your total comp.

Salary Ranges by Level

Seattle software engineering salaries vary significantly by experience level, but all levels benefit from the city's Big Tech density and tax-free environment.

Junior Software Engineer (0-2 years): $120K-$175K total comp

Entry-level roles in Seattle are well above national averages. Amazon's SDE1 and Microsoft's SDE1 roles typically offer $120K-$145K in base salary with RSU grants that push total comp toward $155K-$175K once vesting kicks in. Startups at this level offer $110K-$135K base with more meaningful equity stakes. Most junior engineers in Seattle are comfortably hitting six figures within their first year - something that still isn't guaranteed in many other US cities.

Mid-Level Software Engineer (2-5 years): $165K-$215K total comp

This is where Seattle's compensation starts to look genuinely exceptional. Amazon SDE2 and Microsoft SDE2 roles land in the $165K-$200K range for total comp, with base salaries of $130K-$160K supplemented by RSU refreshes and cash bonuses. Google and Meta's Seattle offices pay SF-equivalent packages at this level, often $185K-$215K total comp. Well-funded startups in this range offer $150K-$175K base with equity that could be worth significantly more at exit.

Senior Software Engineer (5-10 years): $210K-$270K total comp

Senior is where the real money begins in Seattle's Big Tech ecosystem. Amazon SDE3 engineers commonly see $180K-$210K in base with RSU packages bringing total comp to $240K-$270K. Microsoft's equivalent (Level 63-65) follows a similar pattern. Google's senior engineers at their Seattle offices hit $230K-$270K total comp. At this level, negotiating RSU refreshes, sign-on bonuses, and level placement becomes critical - differences of $30K-$50K in annual comp are common between candidates who negotiate well and those who accept first offers.

Staff/Principal Engineer (10+ years): $260K-$340K+ total comp

Amazon Principal SDE, Microsoft Partner, and staff engineers at Google or Meta can see $260K-$340K+ in total annual compensation. The base salary component is typically $200K-$250K, with the rest in RSUs and performance bonuses. Principal engineers who move between companies - leveraging competing offers - often unlock the highest packages. Some exceptional candidates at Amazon or in high-growth startups with significant equity stakes clear $400K+ in good equity vesting years.

Total Comp Breakdown: Base vs RSU vs Bonus

Understanding how Big Tech structures compensation is essential for evaluating and negotiating offers in Seattle.

Amazon L6 (Senior SDE) Example

A typical Amazon L6 package in 2026 might look like:

Base salary: $185,000

Sign-on bonus (Year 1): $30,000 (declining in Year 2)

RSU grant: $400,000 vesting over 4 years (15% Y1, 25% Y2, 30% Y3, 30% Y4)

Year 1 total comp: ~$215,000 (base + sign-on + RSUs)

Year 3-4 total comp: ~$305,000+ (base + RSUs at full vest + refresh grants)

Amazon's backend-heavy RSU vesting schedule means Year 1 and 2 compensation looks lower than it becomes. Factor in refresh grants (given to strong performers annually) when evaluating long-term value.

Microsoft L65 (Senior SWE) Example

Microsoft's Level 65 package is typically structured differently:

Base salary: $175,000-$195,000

Annual bonus: $25,000-$35,000 (target %)

RSU grant: $250,000-$350,000 over 4 years (equal quarterly vesting after cliff)

Total annual comp: $260K-$280K at full cadence

Microsoft's vesting is more linear and the bonus component more predictable than Amazon's, which appeals to engineers who want less variance in their monthly cash flow. Performance reviews determine RSU refresh amounts.

The No State Income Tax Advantage

This is Seattle's secret weapon, and it compounds dramatically at senior compensation levels.

Washington state has 0% state income tax. California's top marginal rate is 13.3%. If you're choosing between a $250K offer in Seattle and a $270K offer in San Francisco, the Seattle offer is almost certainly worth more after taxes.

Here's the math at different income levels:

Over a 5-year career at senior levels, the tax advantage alone is worth $100K-$150K - essentially a free year of salary. This is why many experienced engineers explicitly prefer Seattle over San Francisco even when SF base salaries are nominally higher.

Note: Washington does have a capital gains tax (7%) on gains above $262,000/year, which affects engineers with large RSU vesting events. Plan accordingly with a tax professional if you're in this bracket.

Top Employers in Seattle

Amazon - The Market Anchor

Amazon is Seattle's largest tech employer by a significant margin, with its main campus in South Lake Union employing tens of thousands of software engineers. Amazon sets the floor for what competitive SWE compensation looks like in the region - everyone else must respond to Amazon's packages to compete for talent.

Amazon's compensation is heavily weighted toward RSUs (Amazon stock), which introduces volatility but also upside. AMZN's stock performance directly affects how valuable those packages are. Amazon engineers frequently cite the demanding work culture (on-call rotations, high operational bar) but acknowledge the compensation is hard to match locally.

Microsoft - Redmond's Engine

Microsoft's Redmond campus (technically a suburb of Seattle, ~15 minutes east) is the other anchor of the Seattle tech market. Microsoft has diversified significantly with Azure, Xbox, LinkedIn, and GitHub operations, creating demand for a wide range of engineering specializations. Microsoft is known for more predictable hours and work-life balance relative to Amazon, while maintaining competitive compensation.

Google, Meta, Apple

All three have significant Seattle/Bellevue offices and pay their standard (SF-equivalent) total comp packages regardless of location. Google's Seattle engineering center focuses on cloud and ads infrastructure. Meta's presence has grown with VR/AR work. Apple's Bellevue office focuses on Maps, Siri, and retail tech.

Mid-Tier Tech Companies

Expedia Group - Seattle-headquartered travel tech company. Solid $180K-$240K for senior engineers, with a more traditional tech culture. T-Mobile - Telecom tech roles, generally $140K-$190K. Less equity upside but strong benefits and stability. Zillow - Real estate tech pioneer. $160K-$230K for senior engineers, significant equity programs. Redfin - Another Seattle real estate tech company, smaller but well-regarded. $150K-$210K range. Convoy - Digital freight startup that went through significant restructuring. Check current status before pursuing. Startups - Seattle has a growing Series A-C startup ecosystem, particularly in cloud infrastructure, logistics tech, and climate tech. Early-stage equity can be meaningful, with compensation typically 70-85% of Big Tech base.

Seattle vs San Francisco: Cost of Life Comparison

The full financial picture requires comparing costs, not just salaries.

Housing: A 1-bedroom apartment in Seattle proper averages $2,600-$2,900/month in 2026. In San Francisco, the equivalent is $3,600-$4,200/month. That's $10K-$16K/year in saved rent alone for a Seattle engineer. Transportation: Seattle is more car-dependent than SF for most neighborhoods, though downtown and Capitol Hill have good transit. Expect $400-$700/month for a car including insurance if you need one, vs SF's higher parking costs but better public transit coverage. Food and lifestyle: Both cities are expensive, but Seattle's restaurant and grocery costs run roughly 10-15% below SF levels. Combined financial advantage (Seattle vs SF at $220K TC):

Tax savings: +$15,000/year

Rent savings: +$12,000/year

Other cost savings: +$5,000/year

Total annual advantage: ~$32,000/year

This means a $220K Seattle offer often beats a $235K San Francisco offer in actual financial terms - which surprises many engineers who assume SF is always the better deal.

Skills That Boost Pay in Seattle

Seattle's tech economy has specific concentrations that reward certain skill sets more than others:

AWS and cloud-native architecture - Amazon invented AWS here. Cloud infrastructure expertise (EC2, ECS/EKS, Lambda, DynamoDB, S3) commands significant premiums in Seattle because the demand from Amazon itself and the surrounding ecosystem is enormous. Engineers who can design and optimize cloud-native systems at scale are in constant demand. Distributed systems design - Seattle's Big Tech companies operate some of the world's largest distributed systems. Engineers who can design for fault tolerance, horizontal scalability, and high availability at global scale are especially valued at Amazon, Microsoft Azure, and their supply chains. Kubernetes and container orchestration - Both Amazon (EKS) and Microsoft (AKS) sell managed Kubernetes services, creating huge internal demand for engineers who deeply understand container orchestration. This skill commands $15K-$25K premiums in both job offers and internal leveling decisions. ML/AI infrastructure - As every major Seattle tech company invests heavily in AI capabilities, engineers who can build the infrastructure to train, serve, and monitor ML models are among the most sought-after. This includes MLOps, model serving infrastructure, and feature stores. See ML engineer salaries in Seattle for dedicated comp data. Backend systems at scale - E-commerce, streaming, and enterprise SaaS have deep roots in Seattle. Engineers with experience in high-throughput transactional systems, data pipelines, and real-time analytics are well-compensated across the employer spectrum.

Related Seattle Engineering Roles

Not a software generalist? Seattle has strong markets for adjacent engineering roles:

Backend engineer salaries in Seattle: $168K-$274K, with Amazon's e-commerce platform and AWS driving heavy demand for distributed backend expertise

DevOps and SRE salaries in Seattle: $155K-$255K, particularly strong at Amazon and Microsoft where infrastructure scale is enormous

ML engineer salaries in Seattle: $175K-$300K, with Amazon Alexa, AWS AI, and Microsoft's AI divisions all hiring aggressively

Related Reading

If you're evaluating Seattle offers or planning your career move, these guides have more context:

Backend Engineer Salary in Seattle 2026 - Deep dive into backend-specific compensation and hiring patterns

Tech Salaries in Seattle 2026 - Full market overview across all engineering roles

Software Engineer Salary Tool - Seattle - Real-time salary data and percentile breakdowns

Is Seattle the Right Move in 2026?

Seattle makes financial sense for most senior software engineers, particularly those coming from or considering San Francisco. The combination of Big Tech anchor compensation, no state income tax, lower cost of living, and genuine career growth opportunities at some of the world's most important technology companies is hard to beat.

The tradeoffs are real: the weather (gray, rainy October-April), a higher cost of living relative to much of the US, and some of the most demanding engineering cultures in the industry at Amazon specifically. But engineers who thrive in high-ownership, high-accountability environments frequently find Seattle's financial and professional upside worth it.

For engineers early in their careers, Seattle's density of ambitious companies means rapid skill development. For mid-to-senior engineers, the tax-advantaged compensation at scale is genuinely transformative for long-term wealth building.

Use the Seattle software engineer salary tool to see where your current or target comp falls within the market distribution - and whether it's time to negotiate, move, or stay the course.