Software Project Engineer

Software Project Engineer Salary in California

$78.5K

$120.9K

$140.1K

$117,720

/year

$56.60

/hour

Software Project Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$119,282

California

California

$117,720

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    How much does a Software Project Engineer make in California?

    As of Aug 30, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Project Engineer in California is $117,720 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $56.60 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,263/week or $9,810/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $140,141 and as low as $78,459, the majority of Software Project Engineer salaries currently range between $116,000 (25th percentile) to $126,300 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $139,153 annually in California. The average pay range for a Software Project Engineer varies little (about 10300), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Project Engineer salaries.

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

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

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Project Engineer Jobs in California

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Project Engineer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Palmdale, , with Fremont, and Berkeley, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, beats the average in California by $28,334 (24.1%), and Palmdale, furthers that trend with another $59,957 (50.9%) above the $117,720 average.

    With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Software Project Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Additionally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies as much as 25% between Palmdale, and Oakland, , suggesting a strong potential for positive wage variance in a Software Project Engineer role. Cost of living should also be factored in when balancing location and salary.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Palmdale

    $177,677

    $85.42

    Fremont

    $152,911

    $73.51

    Berkeley

    $146,054

    $70.22

    Mountain View

    $141,947

    $68.24

    San Francisco

    $140,535

    $67.56

    Santa Clara

    $140,090

    $67.35

    Milpitas

    $139,008

    $66.83

    Daly City

    $138,212

    $66.45

    Santa Cruz

    $137,731

    $66.22

    Oakland

    $136,993

    $65.86

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Project Engineer Jobs in California

    Analyzing similar jobs related to the Software Project Engineer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $117720 state average for Software Project Engineer jobs.

    Nevertheless Analytics Developer, Aerodynamics Engineer, or Civil Engineer P E may still be interesting positions to explore.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Analytics Developer

    $107,269

    $51.57

    Aerodynamics Engineer

    $92,928

    $44.68

    Civil Engineer P E

    $81,591

    $39.23

    Traffic Signal Engineer

    $59,668

    $28.69

    Autocad Civil Drafter

    $51,471

    $24.75

    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 Project Engineer salary in California as of August 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $116,000 to $139,153 annually, with the California average at $117,720 per year or $56.60 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in California for Software Project Engineer jobs, with Palmdale leading at $177,677 annually.