Software Engineer 2

Software Engineer 2 Salary

$55.5K

$113.5K

$174K

$118,674

/year

$57.05

/hour

Software Engineer 2 Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$118,674

Columbus

Ohio

$114,627

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    How much does a Software Engineer 2 make?

    As of Aug 1, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Engineer 2 in the United States is $118,674 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $57.05 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,282/week or $9,889/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $174,000 and as low as $55,500, the majority of Software Engineer 2 salaries currently range between $97,500 (25th percentile) to $133,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $173,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Software Engineer 2 varies greatly (by as much as 36000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Software Engineer 2 in your area makes on average $114,627 per year, or $4,047 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $118,674. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Engineer 2 salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Software Engineer 2 jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Software Engineer 2 on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Engineer 2 Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Engineer 2 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 $26,635 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $28,540 (24.0%) above the $118,674 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Software Engineer 2 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 East 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 Software Engineer 2 role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $147,214

    $70.78

    Cupertino, CA

    $146,413

    $70.39

    Berkeley, CA

    $145,309

    $69.86

    Aspen, CO

    $143,443

    $68.96

    Sitka, AK

    $142,964

    $68.73

    North Slope, AK

    $142,532

    $68.53

    Atlanta, NE

    $141,575

    $68.06

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $141,188

    $67.88

    Menlo Park, CA

    $139,852

    $67.24

    East Palo Alto, CA

    $139,837

    $67.23

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Engineer 2 Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Software Engineer 2 category.

    For example Principal Software Engineer jobs pay as much as $42,262 (35.6%) more than the average Software Engineer 2 salary of $118,674. If you're qualified, finding work as a Principal Software Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Software Engineer 2 position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Principal Software Engineer

    $160,936

    $77.37

    Senior Lead Software Engineer

    $147,310

    $70.82

    Google Frontend Engineer

    $138,932

    $66.79

    Stack Infrastructure

    $134,771

    $64.79

    Kotlin Developer

    $127,151

    $61.13

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Software Engineer 2 salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $118,674 per year or $57.05 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.