Director Software Engineering

Director Software Engineering Salary

$139K

$254K

$243,917

/year

$117.27

/hour

Director Software Engineering Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$243,917

Columbus

Ohio

$235,600

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    How much does a Director Software Engineering make?

    As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Director Software Engineering in the United States is $243,917 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $117.27 an hour. This is the equivalent of $4,690/week or $20,326/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $254,000 and as low as $139,000, the majority of Director Software Engineering salaries currently range between $253,000 (25th percentile) to $253,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $253,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Director Software Engineering varies little (about 0), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    A Director Software Engineering in your area makes on average $235,600 per year, or $8,317 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $243,917. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Director Software Engineering salaries.

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

    Find your next high paying job as a Director Software Engineering on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Director Software Engineering Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Director Software Engineering job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $54,745 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $58,661 (24.0%) above the $243,917 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Director Software Engineering appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Livermore, CA, , 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 Director Software Engineering role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $302,578

    $145.47

    Cupertino, CA

    $300,931

    $144.68

    Berkeley, CA

    $298,662

    $143.59

    Sitka, AK

    $293,842

    $141.27

    Palo Alto, CA

    $287,454

    $138.20

    Menlo Park, CA

    $287,446

    $138.20

    San Francisco, CA

    $287,377

    $138.16

    Santa Clara, CA

    $286,373

    $137.68

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $286,274

    $137.63

    Livermore, CA

    $286,112

    $137.55

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Director Software Engineering Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Director Software Engineering job category, we found that Director Software jobs have average salaries similar than Director Software Engineering jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Director Software

    $243,917

    $117.27

    Director Of Software Support

    $123,386

    $59.32

    Shopify Backend Developer

    $120,086

    $57.73

    Attention Engineers

    $101,752

    $48.92

    Genesys Works

    $100,622

    $48.38

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Director Software Engineering salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $243,917 per year or $117.27 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.