ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Software Engineer Manager Jobs in Washington, DC

GDIT

Software Engineer

Annapolis Junction, MD · Hybrid

$187K - $230K/yr

Software Engineering Job Qualifications: Skills: AWS Tools, Docker (Software), GitLab, Kubernetes ... Management, or related discipline from an accredited college or university is required. Four (4) ...

M&J Engineering

Software Engineer

Rockville, MD · On-site

M&J Engineering is a leader in construction management and inspection, ITS, mechanical, electrical ... M&J is seeking a Software Engineer. This role is essential to ensure the reliability, performance ...

Anthem Engineering

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

Software developer roles and responsibilities include providing expertise in the full software ... artifact management (preferably Nexus), ticketing (preferably Jira), and knowledge management ...

Anthem Engineering

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

Software developer roles and responsibilities include providing expertise in the full software ... artifact management (preferably Nexus), ticketing (preferably Jira), and knowledge management ...

Anthem Engineering

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA

Software developer roles and responsibilities include providing expertise in the full software ... artifact management (preferably Nexus), ticketing (preferably Jira), and knowledge management ...

M&J Engineering

Software Engineer

Rockville, MD

M&J Engineering is a leader in construction management and inspection, ITS, mechanical, electrical ... M&J is seeking a Software Engineer. This role is essential to ensure the reliability, performance ...

M&J Engineering

Software Engineer

Rockville, MD · On-site

M&J Engineering is a leader in construction management and inspection, ITS, mechanical, electrical ... M&J is seeking a Software Engineer. This role is essential to ensure the reliability, performance ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsSoftware Engineer JobsSoftware Engineer Manager JobsSoftware Engineer Manager Jobs in Washington, DC

Software Engineer Manager information

See Washington, DC salary details

$112.3K

$191.1K

$226.2K

How much do software engineer manager jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for software engineer manager in Washington, DC is $191,121.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $195,200.00 and $195,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by Software Engineer Managers when transitioning from an individual contributor role?

Software Engineer Managers often find the shift from coding-focused work to leadership responsibilities challenging. Instead of primarily writing code, their days are filled with mentoring team members, managing project timelines, and facilitating communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders. Balancing technical oversight with people management, and learning to delegate effectively, are critical skills to develop. Additionally, they must stay current with technology trends while focusing on team growth and performance.

What is the difference between Software Engineer Manager vs Software Developer?

AspectSoftware Engineer ManagerSoftware Developer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; often leadership experienceBachelor's degree in CS or related field; coding skills
Work EnvironmentLeads teams, manages projects, collaborates with stakeholdersFocuses on coding, designing, and implementing software solutions
Industry UsageCommon in tech companies, startups, large enterprisesWidespread across industries, including tech, finance, healthcare
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding managerial roles, career progressionTechnical skills, coding responsibilities

The main difference between a Software Engineer Manager and a Software Developer lies in their responsibilities. The manager oversees teams, manages projects, and aligns technical work with business goals, while the developer primarily focuses on coding and building software solutions. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the manager also needs leadership and project management abilities.

How much do software engineer managers get paid?

Software engineer managers typically earn between $100,000 and $180,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Senior managers or those in high-cost areas may earn higher salaries, often supplemented with bonuses and stock options.

What is a Software Engineer Manager?

A Software Engineer Manager is a professional who leads a team of software engineers, overseeing the design, development, and deployment of software projects. They are responsible for managing team performance, setting goals, and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. In addition to technical expertise, they also handle hiring, mentoring, and career development of team members. Software Engineer Managers often collaborate with other departments to align technical solutions with business objectives. Their role combines leadership, project management, and deep technical knowledge.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Software Engineer Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Software Engineer Manager, you need a solid background in software development, team leadership experience, and often a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with project management tools (like Jira), version control systems (such as Git), and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) is typically required, along with relevant certifications. Exceptional communication, problem-solving, and mentoring abilities help you build effective teams and drive project success. These skills ensure you can lead technical initiatives, foster collaboration, and deliver high-quality software solutions in dynamic environments.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior software engineers, engineering managers, and principal engineers in the technology industry can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and working at large tech companies or in high-cost-of-living areas. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options or equity. Achieving this level typically requires strong technical expertise, leadership abilities, and a track record of impactful projects.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Senior software engineers, especially those in high-cost-of-living areas or working at major tech companies, can earn $500,000 or more annually through base salary, bonuses, and stock options. Roles requiring advanced skills in areas like machine learning, cloud infrastructure, or executive-level management are more likely to reach this compensation level.

What does a software engineer manager do?

A software engineer manager oversees software development teams, coordinates project planning, and ensures timely delivery of high-quality software products. They also handle team management, performance evaluations, and collaborate with other departments to align technical goals with business objectives.
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer jobs in Washington, DC? The most popular types of Software Engineer jobs in Washington, DC are:
What are popular job titles related to Software Engineer Manager jobs in Washington, DC? For Software Engineer Manager jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Software Engineer Manager jobs in Washington, DC look for? The top searched job categories for Software Engineer Manager jobs in Washington, DC are:
Software Engineer Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Software Engineer Manager job openings in Washington, DC as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $191,121 per year, or $91.9 per hour.

Software Engineer (Manager)

Ardent Principles, Inc

Herndon, VA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 14 days ago

Job description

REQUIRED:  Active TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph
LOCATION:  Full-time onsite in Herndon, VA
We're hiring a Software Engineer with strong back-end development skills in Python, Java and front-end development in Angular, and cloudnative development in AWS/C2S. You'll build and deploy microservices, work extensively in Linux, and support datadriven solutions using SQL/NoSQL, ETL pipelines, and search technologies like Elasticsearch/Solr/OpenSearch.
Who We Are:
We offer advanced services in data science, data engineering, software engineering, AI solutions, cybersecurity, staff augmentation, and IT program management.
Passionate Integrity, Driven by Excellence
Ardent Principles offers a competitive salary range and a comprehensive, industryleading benefits package designed to support longterm stability and employee wellbeing. We provide more than a position-we offer a workplace committed to excellence, integrity, and missionfocused impact.  Our mission is to act as a bridge between satisfied clients and fulfilled employees, ensuring that your job and well-being are our top priorities because your satisfaction leads to the success of our clients.
Join us as we continue building the future of secure, highimpact solutions.
In this challenging yet rewarding role, you are an integral part of what brings our Company's mission to life. The following required skills, certifications and demonstrated experience in and/or with:
  • 4-6 years in backend development - must be proficient in both Python and Java
  • 4-6 years in frontend development like Angular
  •  6-8 years of AWS Architecture design proficiency
  • Significant proficiency 6-8 years in Linux - shell scripting, mounting drives, text editing with vi or emacs, system diagnostic checks [memory management, process running]
  • 2-3 years working with AI/ML development and data science understanding
  • Working with Agile software development teams following Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban.
  • Using Jira, Confluence, and GitHub for documenting work and team collaboration.
  • Minimum 6-8 years of experience with SQL and NOSQL databases
  • Minimum 6-8 years of demonstrated experience with development and deployment of applications in the Commercial Cloud Services (C2S) environment or an Amazon Web Services cloud environment.
  • Minimum 6-8 years of demonstrated experience with search & analytic tools. Examples to include ElasticSearch, Solr/Lucene, OpenSearch.
  • Minimum 2-4 years of demonstrated (Extract, Transform, Load - ETL) with large structured and unstructured raw data sets.
  • Minimum 6-8 years of demonstrated ability to design, develop, test and implement new applications based on project requirements.
  • Ability to work individually as well as the ability to work in project teams. Proven ability in decomposing concepts to discrete development tasks and managing your work to a deadline.
  • Minimum 6-8 years of demonstrated ability in microservices up to and including docker, podman, and or containerization services.
  • Minimum 6-8 years in Object Oriented programming. Python is preferred software development language.
Other skills and demonstrated experiences that are highly desired but not mandatory to perform the work, include:
  • Using text analytics and its applications/role/use in business intelligence/business analytics (i.e. search, entity extraction, sentiment analysis, document summarization, document categorization) whether through education or experience.
  • Developing proof of concepts of new technologies and evaluating the state of the art in machine learning algorithms for text analytics whether through education or experience.
  • Working with Machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, Keras, Tensorflow whether through education or experience.
  • Data visualization tools (i.e. Tableau, Pandas, D3.js, ggplot, etc) whether through education or experience.
  • Relational or Non-Relational data stores such as MySQL, Postgres, MongoDB, or DynamoDB whether through education or experience.
  • Using Natural Language Processing tools such as spaCy, NLTK, Stanford CoreNLP, or Gensim Natural Language Processing whether through education or experience.
  • Using some of the following; Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Search Ranking, Duplicate Detection, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), Image Recognition, Fuzzy Search, Named Entity Recognition (NER), Document Categorization.
  • Highly Competitive Salary: Recognizing and rewarding your expertise and contributions.
  • Generous Paid Time Off: Providing ample time for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits.
  • Dedicated Training Budget: Supporting continuous learning and professional development.
  • 100% Employer-Covered Family Vision, Dental, and Health Insurance: Ensuring comprehensive health coverage for you and your family.
  • 100% Employer-Covered Life and Disability Insurance: Offering financial security and peace of mind.
  • 401(k) Plan with a 6% Employer Match: Helping you plan and save for a secure retirement, with 100% vesting from day one.
  • 11 Paid Government Holidays: Observing national holidays to ensure time off with family and friends.
  • Spot Bonuses for Exceptional Performance: Rewarding outstanding contributions and achievements.
SCHEDULE:
This is a full-time position with consultants expected to be available and working onsite in Herndon, VA during core hours.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Join us and be part of a team dedicated to driving positive change through technology. Apply now with our easy 3-minute, mobile-friendly initial application process. Your future starts here!

Apply