Software Engineer Jobs (2026) — Salary, Cities & Top Employers

Salary analysis

💰 Salary analysis

Salary data based on 4,131 positions with reported compensation (39% of all Software Engineer listings).

10th percentile

$61,000

25th percentile

$88,949

Median (50th)

$132,868

75th percentile

$166,498

90th percentile

$198,590

Average salary: $131,650

In-demand skills

🎯 In-Demand skills

Most frequently requested skills in Software Engineer job descriptions, ranked by mention frequency.

Java

Agile

Python

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Git

C++

Angular

React

JavaScript

C#

Machine Learning

TypeScript

SQL

AWS

By city

🌎 Salary & Jobs by city

Compare Software Engineer opportunities across 20 cities. Click any city for detailed market analysis.

City	Jobs ▼	Median Salary	Salary Range	Remote %	Companies	New (7d)
London	1,219	£100,000	£75,000 – £140,000	4%	15	48
San Francisco, CA	275	$175,000	$163,000 – $211,000	10%	15	44
New York, NY	263	$160,000	$123,750 – $190,225	6%	15	68
Jersey City, NJ	233	$61,000	$61,000 – $61,000	–	8	155
Annapolis Junction, MD	216	$172,500	$120,000 – $200,000	8%	15	46
Berlin	209	€75,000	€60,000 – €100,000	8%	15	11
dubai	181	AED 240,000	AED 180,000 – AED 300,000	6%	15	56
California	176	$170,000	$142,500 – $193,930	1%	15	28
München	168	€75,000	€52,500 – €80,000	7%	15	10
Manchester	133	£50,000	£40,000 – £60,000	5%	15	11
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire	131	£70,000	£65,000 – £144,000	5%	15	11
abu dhabi	125	AED 257,000	AED 180,000 – AED 320,000	2%	15	62
Chicago, IL	118	$117,083	$61,000 – $149,800	4%	15	42
India	117	$132,868	$88,949 – $166,498	–	8	19
Plano, TX	116	$61,000	$61,000 – $61,000	–	15	56
Ulm	107	$132,868	$88,949 – $166,498	–	11	2
United Kingdom	100	£207,000	£50,000 – £207,000	4%	15	10
Columbus, OH	96	$61,000	$61,000 – $61,000	6%	10	52
Belfast	90	£55,000	£40,000 – £65,000	10%	15	21
Washington DC	88	$160,000	$139,000 – $176,400	11%	15	4

Top employers

🏢 Top employers

15 companies with the most Software Engineer openings globally.

J.P. Morgan 299 jobs

JPMorgan Chase & Co. 207 jobs

Mastercard 102 jobs

Liebherr-Digital Development Center GmbH 88 jobs

Quant Capital 77 jobs

Hunter Bond 59 jobs

LinuxRecruit 55 jobs

gusto 52 jobs

Neo4j 49 jobs

Noir 48 jobs

palantir 45 jobs

SGS Consulting 45 jobs

Geographic distribution

🌐 Where Software Engineers work

United States 5,776 jobs United Kingdom 2,918 jobs Germany 1,580 jobs UAE 348 jobs

Software Engineer Job Market Overview (2026)

The Software Engineer job market is solidly active, with 10,622 open positions tracked across 20 cities worldwide. In the past 30 days alone, 5,529 new positions were posted (2,133 in the last week), indicating strong and consistent demand from employers.

Compensation Landscape

The median salary for Software Engineer positions is $132,868, with the middle 50% of earners making between $88,949 and $166,498. Top earners (90th percentile) command $198,590 or more. Note that 61% of listings do not disclose salary, so actual compensation may differ in some markets. The highest-paying city is abu dhabi at AED 257,000 median, while Manchester offers £50,000.

Remote Work Availability

18% of Software Engineer positions offer remote or hybrid work arrangements (1,932 listings). While the majority of positions remain on-site, remote options are increasingly available.

Skills That Get You Hired

Based on analysis of job descriptions, the most in-demand skills for Software Engineer roles are Java, Agile, Python, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and Git. Including these keywords in your resume and cover letter can significantly improve your ATS match rate and interview chances.

How to Apply

Start by reviewing our Software Engineer resume example to see what top candidates include. Pair it with a strong cover letter tailored to your target company. Then use JobsChat AI to search all 10,622 positions and get matched based on your experience, preferred location, and salary expectations.

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