Associate Software Engineer

Associate Software Engineer Salary in California

$40K

$78K

$201.8K

$86,687

/year

$41.68

/hour

Associate Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$87,837

California

California

$86,687

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    How much does an Associate Software Engineer make in California?

    As of Aug 16, 2026, the average annual pay for an Associate Software Engineer in California is $86,687 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $41.68 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,667/week or $7,223/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $201,821 and as low as $39,970, the majority of Associate Software Engineer salaries currently range between $62,700 (25th percentile) to $91,800 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $132,245 annually in California. The average pay range for an Associate Software Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 29100), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Associate Software Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Associate Software Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as an Associate Software Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Associate Software Engineer Jobs in California

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Associate Software Engineer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Gonzales, , with Santa Maria, and Palmdale, close behind in the second and third positions. Palmdale, beats the average in California by $29,210 (33.7%), and Gonzales, furthers that trend with another $40,210 (46.4%) above the $86,687 average.

    With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Associate Software Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 15% between Gonzales, and Cupertino, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Associate Software Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Gonzales

    $126,897

    $61.01

    Santa Maria

    $119,451

    $57.43

    Palmdale

    $115,897

    $55.72

    Downey

    $114,416

    $55.01

    National City

    $112,787

    $54.22

    South Gate

    $111,450

    $53.58

    Vista

    $111,403

    $53.56

    Duarte

    $111,106

    $53.42

    Cypress

    $109,932

    $52.85

    Cupertino

    $108,369

    $52.10

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Associate Software Engineer Jobs in California

    Analyzing similar jobs related to the Associate Software Engineer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $86687 state average for Associate Software Engineer jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Web Development Engineer

    $121,128

    $58.23

    Java Microservices

    $116,387

    $55.96

    Freelance Sdet

    $105,808

    $50.87

    Software Test Engineer

    $105,612

    $50.77

    Associate Software Test Engineer

    $86,687

    $41.68

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Associate Software Engineer salary in California as of August 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $62,700 to $132,245 annually, with the California average at $86,687 per year or $41.68 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in California for Associate Software Engineer jobs, with Gonzales leading at $126,897 annually.