The main factors that have an impact on the salary of a computer software engineer are the company, state and city of employment, and level of expertise and experience in successful project implementation and integration.
Software engineers are professionals from the Information Technology (IT) industry who are proficient in making software using a wide range of technical skills, which include computer languages, ERPs, computing concepts, and other aspects. They are considered as one of the highest paid workers in the IT industry. The recent economic recession had a very severe impact on the salary of professionals working in this industry. However, as the impact is fading away slowly, there seems to be a good rise in the salary ranges for jobs in the IT sector.
Level of Experience
US State of Employment
The state where the software engineer is providing his services has a considerable impact on his yearly remuneration. The states of California and Washington are recorded to provide the highest pay to software professionals, with a per annum salary ranging from $60,000 to $90,000 and $60,000 to $85,000 respectively. These two states are then followed by New York and Virginia, with a yearly pay scale ranging from $55,000 to $80,000 and $55,000 to $75,000 respectively. Texas, Illinois, and Florida have a salary range of $50,000 to $75,000; $50,000 to $70,000; and $45,000 to $70,000 respectively.
US City of Employment
Likewise, the city also has a wide impact on the salary range. San Jose is recorded to be the highest paid city, with a salary starting from $65,000 to $95,000. It is followed closely by San Francisco, with the pay range of $60,000 to $90,000. The salary range in New York City and Seattle is $60,000 to $85,000 and $55,000 to $85,000 per annum respectively. In Los Angeles, these IT experts may get $55,000 to $80,000 as yearly remuneration; whereas, in Chicago, the pay ranges from $50,000 to $75,000.
Type of Employer
If you are working for a large multinational software development company, you can expect a pay from $55,000 to $75,000. If it is a small private firm, you can get a salary of approximately $45,000 to $65,000 yearly. Those hired on a contract basis can get an annual salary from $50,000 to $75,000. Likewise, the salary varies from employer to employer.
If you are promoted to a higher post, like a senior software engineer, then the salary can range between $70,000 and $100,000.