Research Software Engineer Salary
$111.5K - $120K
1% of jobs
$120K - $128.5K
0% of jobs
$128.5K - $137K
0% of jobs
$137K - $145.5K
4% of jobs
$145.5K - $154K
0% of jobs
$154K - $162.5K
0% of jobs
$162.5K - $171K
0% of jobs
$171K - $179.5K
2% of jobs
$179.5K - $188K
0% of jobs
$188K - $196.5K
0% of jobs
$198.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$196.5K - $205K
93% of jobs
$111.5K
$206K
$200,510
/year
$96.40
/hour
Research Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$200,510
Columbus
Ohio
$193,672
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How much does a Research Software Engineer make?
As of Jul 20, 2026, the average annual pay for a Research Software Engineer in the United States is $200,510 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $96.40 an hour. This is the equivalent of $3,855/week or $16,709/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $206,000 and as low as $111,500, the majority of Research Software Engineer salaries currently range between $205,000 (25th percentile) to $205,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $205,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Research Software Engineer 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 Research Software Engineer in your area makes on average $193,672 per year, or $6,838 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $200,510. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Research Software Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Research 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 Research Software Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Research Software Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Research Software Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Cupertino, CA, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $41,040 (20.5%), and Cupertino, CA, furthers that trend with another $46,868 (23.4%) above the $200,510 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Research 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 5% between Cupertino, CA, 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 Research Software Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino, CA | $247,378 | $118.93 |
Berkeley, CA | $245,512 | $118.03 |
Sitka, AK | $241,550 | $116.13 |
Mountain View, CA | $236,537 | $113.72 |
Menlo Park, CA | $236,292 | $113.60 |
San Francisco, CA | $236,235 | $113.57 |
Stanford, CA | $235,895 | $113.41 |
Palo Alto, CA | $235,703 | $113.32 |
Santa Clara, CA | $235,486 | $113.21 |
Livermore, CA | $235,195 | $113.07 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Research Software Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Research Software Engineer job category, we found that Wireless Network Engineer jobs have average salaries similar than Research Software Engineer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Wireless Network Engineer | $109,336 | $52.57 |
Cisco Test Engineer | $92,027 | $44.24 |
Development Writer | $67,603 | $32.50 |
Navy Hm | $60,696 | $29.18 |
Ai Prompt Writer | $50,519 | $24.29 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
