Chief Software Engineer Salary
$32.5K - $46K
9% of jobs
$58.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$46K - $59.5K
17% of jobs
$59.5K - $73K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $81.2K / yr.
$73K - $86.5K
15% of jobs
$86.5K - $100K
10% of jobs
$100K - $113.5K
8% of jobs
$114.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$113.5K - $127K
9% of jobs
$127K - $140.5K
7% of jobs
$140.5K - $154K
3% of jobs
$154K - $167.5K
3% of jobs
$167.5K - $181K
3% of jobs
$32.5K
$83K
$181K
$92,945
/year
$44.69
/hour
Chief Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$92,945
Columbus
Ohio
$89,776
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How much does a Chief Software Engineer make?
As of Jul 18, 2026, the average annual pay for a Chief Software Engineer in the United States is $92,945 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $44.69 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,787/week or $7,745/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $181,000 and as low as $32,500, the majority of Chief Software Engineer salaries currently range between $59,000 (25th percentile) to $120,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $155,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Chief Software Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 61000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Chief Software Engineer in your area makes on average $89,776 per year, or $3,169 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $92,945. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Chief Software Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Chief Software Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Chief Software Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Chief Software Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Chief Software Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Deer Park, CA, , with Kentville, NS, and Whitehorse, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Whitehorse, YT, beats the national average by $66,928 (72.0%), and Deer Park, CA, furthers that trend with another $74,492 (80.1%) above the $92,945 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Chief 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 8% between Deer Park, CA, and Saint John, NB, , 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 a Chief Software Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Deer Park, CA | $167,437 | $80.50 |
Kentville, NS | $160,896 | $77.35 |
Whitehorse, YT | $159,873 | $76.86 |
Haines Junction, YT | $159,233 | $76.55 |
Duncan, BC | $158,154 | $76.04 |
Oak Bay, BC | $157,866 | $75.90 |
Victoria, BC | $157,197 | $75.58 |
Alberton, PE | $155,730 | $74.87 |
Courtenay, BC | $155,312 | $74.67 |
Saint John, NB | $154,290 | $74.18 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Chief Software Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Chief Software Engineer category.
For example Optical Test Engineer jobs pay as much as $46,972 (50.5%) more than the average Chief Software Engineer salary of $92,945. If you're qualified, finding work as a Optical Test Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Chief Software Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Optical Test Engineer | $139,917 | $67.27 |
Staff Chief Engineer | $124,409 | $59.81 |
Chief Mechanical Engineer | $104,066 | $50.03 |
Operating Engineer Union | $87,739 | $42.18 |
Chief Electrical Inspector | $81,466 | $39.17 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
