What is the average salary after taxes for a software engineer in the US?
The typical US software developer earns $135,980 before taxes. Here's what that becomes in every state — and at entry, senior and Big Tech pay levels.
Updated October 15, 2026 · 6 min read · Numbers computed with our tested calculators and official sources.
Short answer
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for software developers at $135,980. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, a single filer keeps $104,208 in Texas, which has no income tax — 76.6% of gross. State taxes lower that to $102,322 in Washington, $94,024 in California and $91,978 in New York City.
Calculate your own salary after taxes
Set your salary, state, filing status and 401(k). Turn on the NYC option if you live in the city.
Your salary after taxes
$94,024/yr
$7,835 a month · 30.9% of your salary goes to taxes
- Take-home pay$94,024.03
- Federal income tax$21,369.20
- Social Security$8,430.76
- Medicare$1,971.71
- State income tax$8,416.56
- CA SDI$1,767.74
- Per year
- $94,024
- Per month
- $7,835.34
- Every two weeks
- $3,616.31
- Per week
- $1,808.15
- Per hour (40 h/week)
- $45.20
CA has extra rules (such as credit or deduction phase-outs at higher incomes) that this estimate leaves out, so treat the state tax as close but not exact.
- Federal bracket
- 24%
- State bracket
- 9.3%
- Total tax rate
- 30.9%
- Taxes per year
- $41,956
Software engineer take-home pay by experience level
Base salary, single filer, no 401(k) contributions, 2026 rules. Salary levels are typical ranges, not BLS figures; stock and bonus are not included.
| Where you live | Entry level $100,000 | Median (BLS) $135,980 | Senior $180,000 | Staff / Big Tech $250,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $72,810 | $94,024 | $119,446 | $160,912 |
| Washington | $77,793 | $102,322 | $131,799 | $180,243 |
| Texas | $79,180 | $104,208 | $134,296 | $183,182 |
| New York (outside NYC) | $73,908 | $96,814 | $124,304 | $168,808 |
| New York City | $70,467 | $91,978 | $117,762 | $159,553 |
Neither Washington nor Texas taxes wages; Washington's small gap comes from its Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums (about 1.4% of pay). Note how the gap to California widens as pay rises: California's brackets climb to 9.3% at mid-six figures, and NYC adds another 3.9% on top of New York State tax.
Median software engineer salary after taxes in every state
$135,980 salary, single filer, standard deduction, no pre-tax deductions. Sorted from most to least take-home. Click a state for its full salary table.
| # | State | Take-home / yr | / month | State + local taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 2 | Florida | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 3 | Nevada | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 7 | Texas | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $104,208 | $8,684 | $0 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $102,816 | $8,568 | $1,392 |
| 10 | Washington | $102,322 | $8,527 | $0 |
| 11 | Ohio | $101,251 | $8,438 | $2,957 |
| 12 | Arizona | $101,018 | $8,418 | $3,191 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $100,515 | $8,376 | $3,693 |
| 14 | Indiana | $100,226 | $8,352 | $3,982 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $100,034 | $8,336 | $4,175 |
| 16 | Iowa | $99,693 | $8,308 | $4,515 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $99,567 | $8,297 | $4,642 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $99,501 | $8,292 | $4,707 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $99,291 | $8,274 | $4,917 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $99,118 | $8,260 | $5,090 |
| 21 | Utah | $99,055 | $8,255 | $5,153 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $98,901 | $8,242 | $5,308 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $98,876 | $8,240 | $5,332 |
| 24 | Missouri | $98,755 | $8,230 | $5,454 |
| 25 | Michigan | $98,680 | $8,223 | $5,528 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $98,635 | $8,220 | $5,574 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $98,589 | $8,216 | $5,619 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $98,382 | $8,198 | $5,826 |
| 29 | Colorado | $98,335 | $8,195 | $5,275 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $98,251 | $8,188 | $4,857 |
| 31 | Idaho | $98,110 | $8,176 | $6,099 |
| 32 | Maryland | $98,028 | $8,169 | $6,180 |
| 33 | Montana | $97,886 | $8,157 | $6,322 |
| 34 | Georgia | $97,774 | $8,148 | $6,435 |
| 35 | Alabama | $97,674 | $8,140 | $6,534 |
| 36 | Vermont | $97,661 | $8,138 | $6,548 |
| 37 | Illinois | $97,622 | $8,135 | $6,586 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $97,520 | $8,127 | $6,009 |
| 39 | Kansas | $97,420 | $8,118 | $6,788 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $97,207 | $8,101 | $7,002 |
| 41 | Virginia | $97,204 | $8,100 | $7,005 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $97,165 | $8,097 | $6,472 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $97,004 | $8,084 | $6,579 |
| 44 | New York | $96,814 | $8,068 | $6,983 |
| 45 | Delaware | $96,031 | $8,003 | $7,634 |
| 46 | Maine | $95,981 | $7,998 | $8,227 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $95,769 | $7,981 | $7,841 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $95,619 | $7,968 | $8,590 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $95,388 | $7,949 | $8,821 |
| 50 | California | $94,024 | $7,835 | $8,417 |
| 51 | Oregon | $92,231 | $7,686 | $11,161 |
| 52 | New York City | $91,978 | $7,665 | $11,818 |
Ways software engineers raise take-home pay
- Max out the 401(k) — every pre-tax dollar saves your top federal and state rate. Try the 401(k) calculator.
- Use an HSA if you have a high-deductible plan — it skips income tax and, through payroll, FICA too.
- Plan for RSU withholding — 22% federal withholding on vests is often too low above ~$200k of income.
- Compare offers after tax — use the job offer calculator before choosing between cities.
Want the full method? Read how to accurately estimate take-home pay from a job offer.
Federal and state figures use 2026 tax rules. State disability and paid-leave payroll taxes are included for all 11 states that have them (including California SDI, New York PFL and Washington's Paid Leave and WA Cares); where employers may split the cost, we assume the maximum employee share. Count of states: 51 including DC.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary after taxes for a software engineer in the US?+
The BLS median pay for software developers is $135,980 a year (May 2025). After 2026 federal tax and FICA, a single filer keeps about $104,208 in Texas, $102,322 in Washington (no income tax, but paid-leave and long-term-care premiums) and about $94,024 in California. Results vary by state, filing status and 401(k) contributions.
How much does a $135,980 software engineer take home per month?+
Roughly $8,684 a month in Texas, $8,527 in Washington and $7,835 in California, as a single filer with no 401(k) contributions.
Which state is best for software engineers after taxes?+
On taxes alone, the nine states without a wage income tax — including Washington, Texas and Florida — leave the most. Alaska tops our table at $104,208; New York City is lowest at $91,978. Salaries and housing costs vary much more between cities, so compare full offers.
Is the BLS median the same as average salary?+
No. The median is the middle wage — half earn more, half less. Averages are pulled up by very high earners at large tech companies, so we use the median as the typical salary. Base pay excludes bonuses and stock.
Do RSUs change my take-home pay?+
Yes. Vested RSUs are taxed as wages in the year they vest — federal, FICA and state tax all apply. Employers often withhold only 22% federally, which can leave a bill at tax time for higher earners.