Lead Software Engineer Salary
$83K - $93.5K
4% of jobs
$93.5K - $104K
8% of jobs
$104K - $114.5K
8% of jobs
$119.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$114.5K - $125K
11% of jobs
$125K - $135.5K
11% of jobs
The median wage is $143.3K / yr.
$135.5K - $146K
11% of jobs
$146K - $156.5K
12% of jobs
$165.8K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$156.5K - $167K
12% of jobs
$167K - $177.5K
12% of jobs
$177.5K - $188K
7% of jobs
$188K - $198.5K
5% of jobs
$83K
$144.5K
$198K
$145,890
/year
$70.14
/hour
Lead Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$145,890
Columbus
Ohio
$140,915
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How much does a Lead Software Engineer make?
As of Jul 20, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lead Software Engineer in the United States is $145,890 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $70.14 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,805/week or $12,157/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $198,000 and as low as $83,000, the majority of Lead Software Engineer salaries currently range between $121,000 (25th percentile) to $168,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $186,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lead Software Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 47500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Lead Software Engineer in your area makes on average $140,915 per year, or $4,975 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $145,890. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Lead Software Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lead 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 Lead Software Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lead Software Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lead Software Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kirkland, WA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $34,101 (23.4%), and Kirkland, WA, furthers that trend with another $36,651 (25.1%) above the $145,890 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lead 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 6% between Kirkland, WA, and Palo Alto, 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 Lead Software Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Kirkland, WA | $182,541 | $87.76 |
Nome, AK | $180,976 | $87.01 |
Cupertino, CA | $179,991 | $86.53 |
Shawkemo, MA | $179,515 | $86.31 |
Berkeley, CA | $178,634 | $85.88 |
Sitka, AK | $175,751 | $84.50 |
Menlo Park, CA | $171,925 | $82.66 |
San Francisco Bay Area, CA | $171,884 | $82.64 |
San Francisco, CA | $171,884 | $82.64 |
Palo Alto, CA | $171,497 | $82.45 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lead Software Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Lead Software Engineer job category, we found that Lead Chemical Engineer jobs have average salaries similar than Lead Software Engineer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Lead Chemical Engineer | $123,784 | $59.51 |
Proposals Engineer | $114,462 | $55.03 |
Cryogenic Engineer | $104,528 | $50.25 |
Agricultural Engineering | $83,550 | $40.17 |
Chemical Process Technology | $46,693 | $22.45 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
