Salary data · New York

Software Engineer Salary in New York 2026.

Average base
$195,000
Median
$185,000
Range
$120,000–$380,000

Complete 2026 breakdown by level. Data compiled from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor US Tech Salaries, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Built In NYC, Payscale.

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Salary by level

Base salary ranges + averages across all levels in New York.

LevelRangeAverage
Junior (L3 / E3)
New grads and early-career engineers. Fintech and big tech pay at the top of this band.
$120,000–$160,000$140,000
Mid-level (L4 / E4)
Ships independently. Most-hired band across NYC startups and enterprise.
$150,000–$195,000$175,000
Senior (L5 / E5)
Owns systems and leads projects. Total comp with equity often $320K+.
$185,000–$240,000$215,000
Staff (L6)
Cross-team leadership. Total comp routinely $400K-$550K at big tech and top fintech.
$230,000–$310,000$270,000
FAANG / Top Fintech
Google, Meta, Two Sigma, Citadel, Jane Street. Hedge funds and prop shops pay the top of this range.
$260,000–$380,000$310,000
Base vs total comp

NYC SWE comp is base + equity + bonus. Big tech skews toward equity; fintech and hedge funds skew toward large cash bonuses. At senior levels total comp often runs 40-70% above base.

Market bimodality

New York software engineer pay is bimodal. Hedge funds, prop trading, and big tech cluster at $200K+ base with huge bonuses; agencies, media, and early startups cluster at $120K-$170K base.

Top hiring companies

Companies actively hiring Software Engineers in New York + their typical salary bands.

Google
NYC office (Chelsea), largest tech presence
$175K-$340K base
Meta
NYC office
$180K-$350K base
Jane Street
Top-of-market total comp, cash-heavy
$200K-$400K+ base
Two Sigma
Quant hedge fund, high comp
$190K-$350K base
Citadel
Prop trading, top bonuses
$200K-$400K+ base
Bloomberg
NYC HQ, large eng org
$150K-$260K base
Datadog
NYC HQ, observability
$160K-$290K base
Ramp
NYC fintech, fast-growing
$170K-$300K base
Stripe
NYC engineering hub
$185K-$340K base
Spotify
NYC HQ (Americas)
$155K-$280K base

FAQs

What is the average software engineer salary in New York?+
The average base salary for a software engineer in New York is approximately $195,000 as of 2026, with a median around $185,000. Junior engineers earn $120K-$160K, mid-level $150K-$195K, senior $185K-$240K, and staff $230K-$310K. Hedge funds and prop trading firms pay well above these ranges, especially in bonus.
How much do software engineers make at hedge funds in New York?+
Software engineers at top New York hedge funds and prop trading firms (Jane Street, Citadel, Two Sigma, HRT) earn some of the highest comp in the industry: base salaries of $200K-$400K+ plus cash bonuses that can match or exceed base. Total comp for a strong senior engineer at these firms frequently exceeds $500K-$700K.
Is $185K a good software engineer salary in New York?+
$185K base is right at the New York median for software engineers and represents a solid mid-to-senior level. It is competitive across most tech companies, though fintech and hedge funds pay higher. With equity and bonus, a $185K base senior role often totals $270K-$350K. Factor in NYC cost of living and state/city taxes.
Does New York or the Bay Area pay software engineers more?+
Base salaries are broadly comparable, with San Francisco edging slightly higher on average and offering the largest equity packages at top AI and infrastructure companies. New York competes hard through fintech and hedge funds, where cash bonuses push total comp to the top of the market. Both are the highest-paying US regions for engineers.
What is the difference between base salary and total comp in NYC?+
Base is fixed cash; total comp adds equity and bonus. In New York, big tech leans on RSUs while fintech and finance lean on large cash bonuses. At senior levels total comp is commonly 40-70% above base, so engineers here evaluate offers on total comp rather than base alone.
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Salary data compiled from publicly-available sources: Levels.fyi, Glassdoor US Tech Salaries, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Built In NYC, Payscale. Ranges reflect market observations for Software Engineer roles in New York as of 2026-07-27. Individual offers vary based on company, level, equity, and negotiation.