With how far tech has progressed and the pace at which the progression is taking place, software engineers stand to gain a lot financially. Almost every piece of hardware that we interact with has the software working either behind the scenes or at the forefront allowing us to use it. Hence the job scope of a software engineer is very high and the pay can be very lucrative.
Getting to the question of how much programmers and coders can make in the US as a software engineer depends on many contributing factors. The company that you work for, the city it’s located in and your exact role as a software engineer all contribute to defining the pay scale.
As per Glassdoor.com and Payscale.com, an average salary for a software engineer in the US can range from $80,000 (Average pay as per Payscale) to $103,000 (Average pay as per Glassdoor). These are just average values. Depending on the company and skill-set, salaries can fall near the $110,000-$130,000 bracket.
Programmers and coders can expect higher salaries when working in certain cities within the U.S. Washington, California, District of Columbia, New York, and Maryland. As per reports, cities like these have average salaries of $131,430 (Washington), $126,470 (California), $115,900 (District of Columbia), $115,530 (New York), and $112,190 (Maryland).
Certain areas within these cities also tend to have a higher pay-scale. Metropolitan areas like San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland in California have higher average salaries in comparison. Seattle (Washington) and Silver Spring (Maryland) also have higher average yearly salaries. Job location plays a key factor in determining what the pay is going to be and these statistics speak for themselves.
The future looks bright for software engineers. With an estimated growth of about 31% by the year 2026 and hundreds of job opportunities that will be available by then, the possibilities of success in this field are very promising, to say the least.
Getting into larger companies like Google, Facebook, etc. will significantly raise the salary bar that can be expected since the pay is attractive and the possible stock options are very rewarding. The selection process will be difficult and possibly lengthy but with the right outlook and the necessary skill-set, no mountain is high.
A software engineer and developer definitely fall in the high paying bracket. It is by no means a low paying job. The possibilities are endless if the right skills are acquired. These skills will keep changing with time and the jobs of programmers and coders will keep updating themselves and sharpening their skills.
With the right skills and the perfect opportunity, a software engineer can possibly make exceptionally good money. We are talking millions and if you need some inspiration here is one story that will definitely boost morale. Read about how one man made more than a million each year as a software programmer. Sure, it might be a one-off case that maybe cannot be replicated but it is worth a read to see that it is possible. All that is required is the right skills, a positive outlook and a bit of luck to strike gold.