Salary benchmark
Is $167,280 good for Software Engineer in Seattle, WA?
The BLS May 2025 median annual wage for Software Developers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $167,280. Use the metro distribution as context, then check the employer's level and each pay component separately. It is not a Seattle city-only figure, a seniority band or a 2026 pay forecast.
Role mapping note: Design, develop, test, and maintain software applications and systems.
Seattle wage snapshot · May 2025
Read the range before judging the offer
For Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), the middle half of annual wages in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA runs from $132,800 to $211,860. The median is $167,280. These are metro wage estimates across experience levels.
$0$300,000 / year
Bars show wage amounts, not the number of workers. The 25th and 75th percentiles bound the middle half; they are not junior and senior pay bands.
| Percentile | Annual wage benchmark |
|---|---|
| 10th | $99,190 |
| 25th | $132,800 |
| 50th | $167,280 |
| 75th | $211,860 |
| 90th | $257,960 |
Source of record
Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) — Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
The 75th percentile annual wage for Software Developers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $211,860, and the median (50th percentile) annual wage is $167,280 (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 15-1252).
- 10th percentile annual wage
- $99,190OEUM004266000000015125211
- 25th percentile annual wage
- $132,800OEUM004266000000015125212
- 50th percentile (median) annual wage
- $167,280OEUM004266000000015125213
- 75th percentile annual wage
- $211,860OEUM004266000000015125214
- 90th percentile annual wage
- $257,960OEUM004266000000015125215
Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each row lists its BLS series identifier, so any single figure can be checked against the official OEWS tables. OfferBrief maps Software Engineer to this occupation. OEWS estimates cover wages and salaries, not the full compensation package. They exclude nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits.
How to use this benchmark
- Below $132,800
- Below the metro 25th percentile. Confirm occupation, duties and employer level; this alone does not establish underpayment.
- $132,800 to $167,280
- Between the 25th percentile and median. This is a position in a wage distribution, not an entry-level pay band.
- $167,280 to $211,860
- Between the median and 75th percentile. Review the employer's level and salary, bonus, equity and benefits separately; the position does not establish offer quality.
- Above $211,860
- Above the metro 75th percentile. This does not prove a staff or principal level; check scope, work location and pay conditions.
Negotiation signals for this role
- The role owns production systems, release quality, incident response, or architecture rather than isolated feature tickets.
- The stack or domain requires specialized experience, such as infrastructure, security, data platforms, AI systems, or regulated software.
- The level includes mentoring, hiring-loop participation, technical roadmap input, or cross-team design decisions.
Offer risks to check
- Equity is presented as headline value without vesting, refresh cadence, exercise window, or post-termination details.
- On-call, weekend releases, or incident response are expected but not bounded in the offer letter.
- IP assignment, non-solicit, or non-compete language reaches into side projects or future work too broadly.
What this public benchmark misses
- This page maps Software Engineer to SOC 15-1252, Software Developers; the actual offer may be narrower, broader, or leveled differently than that public occupation group.
- Public wage data does not separate cash-heavy offers from equity-heavy startup or public-company packages.
- The benchmark cannot see seniority ladders, stack scarcity, remote geo bands, patent clauses, or refresh-grant practices.
- BLS OEWS wages are straight-time wage estimates and do not add private salary submissions or employer-specific compensation data.
Questions to ask the recruiter
- Which engineering level and compensation band is this offer mapped to?
- How are on-call rotations, incident response, and release support handled?
- What is the equity vesting schedule, refresh process, and exercise window?
- Can the first compensation review date be included in writing?
Seattle, WA and remote context
- Clarify whether the band is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue-specific, headquarters-based, or adjusted for remote location.
- Ask how hybrid expectations, equity refreshes, and team distribution affect the package after year one.
- If the role is remote or hybrid, ask whether pay is anchored to Seattle, WA, a headquarters band, or your home market.
Source note: BLS OEWS May 2025, mapped to SOC 15-1252 and BLS area code 0042660. OEWS wages are straight-time wage estimates and do not fully capture equity, signing bonus, severance, or every total-compensation detail.
Worked comparison
Two Seattle salary examples, no automatic verdict
These are fictional annual salary amounts for learning, not live offers or recommended pay. First separate salary from sign-on, bonus, equity and benefits.
Example A · salary only
$150,000 / year
Above the $132,800 25th percentile and below the $167,280 median. This does not identify the role as junior or prove it is underpaid.
Ask: Which engineering level and work-location band does this salary use?
Example B · salary only
$190,000 / year
Above the median and below the $211,860 75th percentile. A $190,000 package that includes stock would not be the same comparison.
Ask: What are the separate salary, bonus conditions, equity vesting and refresh terms?
Three details to confirm before using the range
- Work location: confirm the office or remote pay policy. This metro estimate is neither Seattle city alone nor all of Washington state.
- Responsibilities: compare the actual work with Software Developers, then ask about the employer's level, production ownership and on-call rotation. BLS percentiles do not establish a company ladder.
- Pay timing: request the written vesting schedule, any sign-on repayment terms and first review date. Do not treat a one-time payment as recurring annual salary.
FAQ
What does the Seattle software developer wage range tell me?
The BLS May 2025 median is $167,280 per year for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) across Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. The middle half runs from $132,800 to $211,860. These percentiles describe wages across experience levels; they are not junior, senior or staff pay bands, a city-only estimate or a 2026 forecast.
Does this Seattle benchmark measure base salary or total compensation?
OEWS estimates cover wages and salaries, not the full compensation package. They exclude nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits. It is not an exact base-salary or total-compensation measure. Compare salary, bonus, equity and benefits separately, then confirm the employer's engineering level and work-location policy.
What should a Software Engineer negotiate beyond base salary?
Start with level and scope. For this role, one useful signal is whether the role owns production systems, release quality, incident response, or architecture rather than isolated feature tickets. Also ask for written details on any variable pay, equity, review timing, and offer terms that could affect future mobility.
What does this benchmark miss for Software Engineer offers?
This page maps Software Engineer to SOC 15-1252, Software Developers; the actual offer may be narrower, broader, or leveled differently than that public occupation group. Public wage data does not separate cash-heavy offers from equity-heavy startup or public-company packages. The benchmark cannot see seniority ladders, stack scarcity, remote geo bands, patent clauses, or refresh-grant practices. BLS OEWS wages are straight-time wage estimates and do not add private salary submissions or employer-specific compensation data.
How should remote or hybrid offers tied to Seattle, WA be checked?
Clarify whether the band is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue-specific, headquarters-based, or adjusted for remote location. Ask how hybrid expectations, equity refreshes, and team distribution affect the package after year one. If the role is remote or hybrid, ask whether pay is anchored to Seattle, WA, a headquarters band, or your home market.
Which public data source is used on this page?
This page uses BLS OEWS May 2025, mapped to SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers) and BLS area code 0042660. It uses public OEWS wage estimates, not private salary submissions or employer-specific compensation data.
On an H-1B (or hoping for one)?
Since March 2026 the H-1B lottery weighs entries by OFLC wage level, so where this salary lands changes your selection odds. See the estimated H-1B wage levels for Software Engineer in Seattle, WA or request a free H-1B Offer Brief for your specific offer.