It pays to be a software engineer these days, literally.
In fact, job growth for software engineers is projected to be 30% from 2010-2020, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, a talented software engineer can be tough to find and many companies are investing big bucks for the best talent. But how big are we talking, and how does software engineer pay compare across companies and location?
Glassdoor, the leading social jobs and career community, turns to salary reports shared over the past 12 months by software engineers at 15 various tech companies to reveal how their average base salary compares*.
Here’s the breakdown:
Pay by Company
Of the 15 tech companies in this report, Google Software Engineers earn the highest average base salary for 2012 ($128,336). Trailing closely behind are software engineers at Facebook ($123,626), Apple ($114,413), eBay ($108,809) and Zynga ($105,568).
Interestingly, Google continues to pay its software engineers more than Facebook, though Facebook may be closing the gap. In 2012, Facebook software engineers earned an average base salary of $128,336, while those at Facebook earned $123,626. In 2011, Google software engineers earned an average of $114,596, while those at Facebook earned $107,744.
In addition, the 2012 national average for a software engineer’s base salary is $92,648, based on more than 5,000 salary reports, an increase of 2.5% compared to the year prior. Software engineers at 13 of the 15 companies on this report enjoy an average base salary higher than the national average of $92,648. However, Intel ($92,194) and IBM ($89,390) software engineer base pay comes in slightly below the national average.
Pay by Location
When we take a look at 15 of the largest U.S. metros in 2012, the San Francisco Bay Area (CA) leads the way for software engineer average base salary ($107,798), followed by Seattle, WA ($102,006), San Diego, CA ($93,529), Boston, MA ($93,403), and New York, NY ($92,701). Software engineers in Minneapolis, MN earn the lowest among the list of regions ($75,032).
In 2011, the San Francisco Bay Area also led the way in terms of average software engineer base pay ($105,120). From 2011 to 2012, the San Francisco Bay Area’s average software engineer base salary increased 2.5% – on par with the 2.5% national average increase from 2011 to 2012.
Curious to know what software engineers at these tech companies have to say about their compensation? Check out some of the recent employee commentary shared by software engineers:
“Everybody who’s paying attention knows how great the perks are. Between on-site gyms, massage, a wide selection of health benefits, 401k and stock grants, competitive salary, and of course the free, gourmet meals, it’s one of the cushiest jobs in Silicon Valley.” – Google Software Engineer II (Mountain View, CA)
“Amazing perks, job opportunities, co-workers, and compensation (in the tech industry). Extremely high levels of autonomy and work flexibility.” – Facebook Software Engineer (Menlo Park, CA)
“Awesome perks, pay and bonuses (STOCKS). Good growth perspectives for engineering and engineering management roles. Amazing job security.” – Apple Software Engineer (Cupertino, CA)
“Good salary and benefits. If you work hard and flaunt your accomplishments, making your boss look good, you can get recognized. They are trying hard to foster employee retention and growth, so you’re encouraged to develop your skills through classes outside of work.” – eBay Senior Software Engineer (San Jose, CA)
“Great package (salary, bonus, stock). Cool cutting edge tech. Great benefits (delicious food, party, massage).” – Zynga Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Are you a software engineer? How does your base salary compare? Share a salary report.
*Based on at least approximately 20 software engineer salary reports per company for 2012 (10/8/11-10/7/12) and 2011 (10/8/10-10/7/11).
15 Tech Companies’ Software Engineer Salary Revealed; Glassdoor Report is a post from: Glassdoor Blog
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