Software Engineer Level 3

Software Engineer Level 3 Salary

$63.5K

$143K

$205.5K

$147,524

/year

$70.92

/hour

Software Engineer Level 3 Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$147,524

Columbus

Ohio

$142,493

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    How much does a Software Engineer Level 3 make?

    As of Jul 20, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Engineer Level 3 in the United States is $147,524 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $70.92 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,837/week or $12,293/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $205,500 and as low as $63,500, the majority of Software Engineer Level 3 salaries currently range between $120,000 (25th percentile) to $173,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $205,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Software Engineer Level 3 varies greatly (by as much as 53000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Software Engineer Level 3 in your area makes on average $142,493 per year, or $5,031 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $147,524. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Engineer Level 3 salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Software Engineer Level 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 Level 3 on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Engineer Level 3 Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Engineer Level 3 job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $30,195 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $35,478 (24.0%) above the $147,524 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 Level 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 Sunnyvale, 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 Level 3 role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $183,002

    $87.98

    Cupertino, CA

    $182,006

    $87.50

    Sitka, AK

    $177,719

    $85.44

    Wyoming, WY

    $175,940

    $84.59

    Mountain View, CA

    $174,031

    $83.67

    Palo Alto, CA

    $173,855

    $83.58

    Menlo Park, CA

    $173,850

    $83.58

    San Francisco, CA

    $173,808

    $83.56

    Santa Clara, CA

    $173,257

    $83.30

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $173,141

    $83.24

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Engineer Level 3 Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Software Engineer Level 3 job category, we found that Piping Engineer jobs have average salaries similar than Software Engineer Level 3 jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Piping Engineer

    $138,562

    $66.62

    Systems Engineer Secret Clearance

    $127,215

    $61.16

    Biomedical Engineer

    $94,807

    $45.58

    Dimensional Engineer

    $93,364

    $44.89

    Racing Mechanic

    $51,613

    $24.81

    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 Level 3 salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $147,524 per year or $70.92 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.