Software Engineer California
Software Engineer salary in California
Typical pay
$190,000a year
Most Software Engineers earn $155k to $220k a year
From 2,629 current job postings, updated Oct 31, 2026 Pay that employers list in their job postings
The median Software Engineer salary in California is $190,000 a year. Most job postings pay $155,000 to $220,000. From 2,629 current job postings, updated Oct 31, 2026.
5,332 open jobs. See them
Typical pay by city in California
Back to the whole USCalifornia
$190k typical, most $155k to $220k
| San Francisco, CA | $200k | $170k to $230k | 1,197 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $200k | $171k to $230k | 1,030 |
| Oxnard, CA | $172k | $128k to $202k | 21 |
| Sacramento, CA | $165k | $134k to $207k | 24 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $165k | $130k to $176k | 15 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $165k | $138k to $194k | 530 |
| San Diego, CA | $162k | $138k to $200k | 133 |
| Riverside, CA | $134k | $101k to $162k | 15 |
| Bakersfield, CA | – | – | 2 |
| El Centro, CA | – | – | 4 |
| Fresno, CA | – | – | 2 |
| Modesto, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Napa, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Redding, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Salinas, CA | – | – | 1 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | – | – | 3 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Stockton, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Vallejo, CA | – | – | 15 |
| Visalia, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Yuba City, CA | – | – | 1 |
Pay advertised in current postings, per year. Postings are those that list pay.
Pay by experience level
What most job postings pay at each stage. The dot is typical pay.
- Starting out 28 job postings$78k $125k
Typical: $110k
Most new hires start near the low end.
- Experienced 829 job postings$145k $210k
Typical: $175k
- Senior 1,305 job postings$173k $228k
Typical: $200k
- Lead or manager 96 job postings$177k $254k
Typical: $203k
Where would you land?
Pick your level to see what most Software Engineer job postings in California pay at it.
Senior: most postings pay $173k to $228k a year, typically $200k.
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Pay by employer and level
Typical yearly pay at the employers with the most postings that list pay. A dash means fewer than 10 of their postings at that level list pay.
| Employer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | $160k | – | $150k | $203k | – |
| Amazon | $194k | – | $194k | $205k | – |
| NVIDIA Corporation | $236k | – | – | $236k | – |
See every employer's pay
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Sign up freeHow much does a Software Engineer make in California?
Employers hiring now typically offer $190,000 a year for Software Engineer roles in California. These numbers come from the pay employers list in their job postings, so they show what is on offer today rather than what people earned last year. We only show a number when at least 10 postings list pay.
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