Software Engineer 3 Salary
$63K - $74K
2% of jobs
$74K - $85K
2% of jobs
$85K - $96K
6% of jobs
$96K - $107K
8% of jobs
$113K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$107K - $118K
13% of jobs
$118K - $129K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $133.4K / yr.
$129K - $140K
16% of jobs
$150.2K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$140K - $151K
17% of jobs
$151K - $162K
11% of jobs
$162K - $173K
7% of jobs
$173K - $184K
6% of jobs
$63K
$136.5K
$186K
$135,646
/year
$65.21
/hour
Software Engineer 3 Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$135,646
Columbus
Ohio
$131,021
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How much does a Software Engineer 3 make?
As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Engineer 3 in the United States is $135,646 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $65.21 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,608/week or $11,303/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $186,000 and as low as $63,000, the majority of Software Engineer 3 salaries currently range between $115,000 (25th percentile) to $154,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $176,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Software Engineer 3 varies greatly (by as much as 39500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Software Engineer 3 in your area makes on average $131,021 per year, or $4,625 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $135,646. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Engineer 3 salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Software Engineer 3 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 3 on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Engineer 3 Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Engineer 3 job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berlin Corners, VT, close behind in the second and third positions. Berlin Corners, VT, beats the national average by $30,142 (22.2%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $32,623 (24.1%) above the $135,646 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 3 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 San Jose, 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 3 role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $168,269 | $80.90 |
Cupertino, CA | $167,353 | $80.46 |
Berlin Corners, VT | $165,788 | $79.71 |
Sitka, AK | $163,410 | $78.56 |
Mountain View, CA | $161,420 | $77.61 |
San Francisco Bay Area, CA | $159,815 | $76.83 |
San Francisco, CA | $159,815 | $76.83 |
Santa Clara, CA | $159,308 | $76.59 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $159,201 | $76.54 |
San Jose, CA | $158,976 | $76.43 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Engineer 3 Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Software Engineer 3 job category, we found that Professional Software Engineer jobs have average salaries greater than Software Engineer 3 jobs.
Significantly, Professional Software Engineer jobs pay $11,878 (8.8%) more than the average Software Engineer 3 salary of $135,646. If you're qualified, finding work as a Professional Software Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Software Engineer 3 position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Professional Software Engineer | $147,524 | $70.92 |
Civil And Structural Engineer | $102,279 | $49.17 |
Staff Engineer 2 | $99,330 | $47.75 |
Civil Design Engineer | $81,804 | $39.33 |
Graduate Engineer | $72,591 | $34.90 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
