You may be surprised to learn that the country with the highest salary for engineers is not China, Japan, or India. It’s actually Canada.
According to Payscale’s latest data from 2018, the average annual salary for an engineer in Canada is $87,100 USD—more than double what the average engineer earns in other countries. The next-highest-paid country for engineers is Australia, with an average annual salary of $78,000 USD.
Canada’s high salaries can be attributed to its strong history of engineering education: over 50% of all engineering degrees are awarded at Canadian universities. As a result, many of the world’s top engineering firms are based in Canada—including Bombardier, CAE Inc., and Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation.
Country With Highest Salary For Engineers
Which country pays software engineers the most?
Which country comes out on top for software engineering salaries? The United States is highest on the list, with Israel and several European countries trailing behind.
The top three in our comparison are: the United States, Switzerland, and Israel.
Denmark, Canada, and Norway are next, with Australia, the UK, Germany, and Sweden rounding out the top 10.
| COUNTRY | SALARY |
|---|---|
| 1. United States | $110,140 |
| 2. Switzerland | $97,518 |
| 3. Israel | $71,559 |
| 4. Denmark | $63,680 |
| 5. Canada | $61,680 |
| 6. Norway | $57,013 |
| 7. Australia | $55,640 |
| 8. United Kingdom | $55,275 |
| 9. Germany | $52,275 |
| 10. Sweden | $50,437 |
The Average Software Engineering Salary by Country
What are the average software engineering salaries around the world?
The best-paying countries are the US, Israel, and several European countries. However, even within a country, there can be big differences, as developers in major cities tend to get better paid than developers living outside of urban areas.
The highest paying countries in our research are:
| COUNTRY | SALARY |
|---|---|
| United States | $110,140 |
| Switzerland | $97,518 |
| Israel | $71,559 |
| Denmark | $63,680 |
| Canada | $61,680 |
| Norway | $57,013 |
| Australia | $55,640 |
| United Kingdom | $55,275 |
| Germany | $52,275 |
| Sweden | $50,437 |
| Ireland | $48,427 |
| Finland | $47,850 |
| The Netherlands | $45,180 |
| France | $43,849 |
| New Zealand | $42,399 |
| Singapore | $41,864 |
| Argentina | $39,898 |
| Japan | $36,024 |
But what about the rest of the world? Which countries have the lowest software engineering salaries? Below is a sample list of countries with the lowest salaries for developers.
As you can see, developing countries like Nigeria pay the lowest at $7,255/year. India, a country where Western companies tend to outsource their technical needs, has an average yearly salary of $7,725. Developers in Eastern European countries can expect a significantly lower salary than their Western colleagues. In Poland a developer will typically make $22,740, and in Ukraine, the average is $22,348.
| COUNTRY | SALARY |
|---|---|
| China | $23,790 |
| Russia | $23,737 |
| Poland | $22,740 |
| Ukraine | $22,348 |
| South Africa | $19,151 |
| Brazil | $11,337 |
| Philippines | $7,936 |
| India | $7,725 |
| Nigeria | $7,255 |
Which country has the highest demand for software engineers?
Overall, software development is the most in-demand profession in the world. According to PageGroup, the countries with the highest demand for software developers are Canada, Australia, Russia, Sweden, and New Zealand. As there is a shortage of developers, salaries also tend to be higher.
The Average Software Engineering Salary in the US
The average software developer salary in the US is $110,140 per year or $9,178 per month. The average junior developer salary is $69,354 per year or $5,779 per month. The average senior developer salary, on the other hand, is $104,188 per year or $8,682 per month.
Extremely high and varying salaries for leads and head of’s, especially in the Bay Area, bring the national average up, but there can be big differences between states and cities. Here are the top-paying states and cities in the US:
Software engineering salaries in the US by state
What are the top-paying US states for software developers? Not surprisingly, California is the highest paying state for software engineers with a median salary of $146,770. Washington is ranked second, and Maryland comes in third place.
| STATE | SALARY |
|---|---|
| 1. California | $146,770 |
| 2. Washington | $145,150 |
| 3. Maryland | $131,240 |
| 4. New York | $129,950 |
| 5. Rhode Island | $128,790 |
Software engineering salaries in the US by city
The top-paying cities in the US include San Jose ($167,420), San Francisco ($158,320), and Seattle ($148,200). Interestingly, some nonmetropolitan areas offer similar median wages, such as the Southern Vermont and Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan areas, where a software developer can earn $133,050 and $125,310, respectively.
Highest Paid Metro Areas
| METROPOLITAN AREA | SALARY |
|---|---|
| San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara | $167,420 |
| San Francisco/Oakland/Hayward | $158,320 |
| Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue | $148,220 |
| Baltimore/Columbia/Towson | $137,510 |
| Santa Cruz/Watsonville | $134,680 |
| Washington D.C./Arlington/Alexandria | $133,850 |
| New York/Newark/Jersey City | $133,620 |
| San Diego/Carlsbad | $133,580 |
| Napa Valley | $131,930 |
| Sacramento/Roseville/Arden-Arcade | $130,690 |
Highest Paid Nonmetropolitan Areas
| NONMETROPOLITAN AREA | SALARY |
|---|---|
| Southern Vermont | $133,050 |
| Eastern Oregon | $125,310 |
| Western Washington | $119,610 |
| Hawaii/Kauai | $115,770 |
| Massachusetts | $115,250 |
Software engineering salaries by programming language in the US
If we look at programming languages, it’s clear that some of them pay better than others. Popular backend languages like Go and Python top the list. However, these are average salaries, so there can be big differences depending on where a developer is located.
● Go is the best-paid language at $120,577.
● Ruby comes in second place at $119,558.
● Python pays an average of $114,904.
● The average salary for Java is $112,013.
● JavaScript typically pays $111,922 in the US.
● Android developers make on average $109,377.
● iOS has a slightly lower average salary compared to Android, at $108,783.
● And Rust isn’t far behind, $108,744.
● C pays an average of $101,734.
● PHP typically pays $92,867.
● And out of these languages, SQL pays the least; $85,845.
| LANGUAGE | SALARY |
|---|---|
| Golang | $120,577 |
| Ruby | $119,55 |
| Python | $114,904 |
| Java | $112,013 |
| JavaScript | $111,922 |
| Android | $109,377 |
| iOS | $108,783 |
| Rust | $108,744 |
| C | $101,734 |
| PHP | $92,867 |
| SQL | $85,845 |
Software engineering salaries by job title in the US
Job titles can make a big difference for tech talent. While software developers get paid an average of $110,140, programmers are, on average, paid $105,310.
- Software developers and software quality assurance analysts and testers are paid, on average, $110,140.
- Software and web developers, programmers, and testers trail close behind, at $105,310.
- Computer occupations are paid $91,250.
The Average Software Engineering Salary in Europe
What’s the average software developer salary in Europe? The average salary is lower than in the US, but benefits and cost of living tend to outweigh some of those differences.
Overall, European countries differ a lot between East and West. Western European developers make at least $40,000+ a year, whereas developers in Eastern Europe can expect significantly less, around $20,000+ a year. Southern European developers are also paid less than their Northern counterparts. Developers in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Greece can expect between $21,314 to $36,323 per year.
| COUNTRY | SALARY |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | $97,518 |
| Denmark | $63,680 |
| Norway | $57,013 |
| United Kingdom | $55,275 |
| Germany | $52,275 |
| Estonia | $52,816 |
| Austria | $51,536 |
| Sweden | $50,437 |
| Ireland | $48,427 |
| Finland | $47,850 |
| The Netherlands | $45,180 |
| France | $43,849 |
| Belgium | $39,687 |
| Spain | $36,323 |
| Italy | $32,579 |
| The Czech Republic | $29,721 |
| Portugal | $25,331 |
| Poland | $22,740 |
| Hungary | $22,353 |
| Ukraine | $22,348 |
| Greece | $21,314 |
| Bulgaria | $17,461 |
The average software engineering salary in Switzerland
The average software developer salary in Switzerland is $97,518 or $8,126 per month.
The average junior software developer salary in Switzerland is $89,643 or $7,470 per month. The average senior software developer salary is $127,693 or $10,641.
As is the case most often, developers in bigger cities tend to get better paid; in Switzerland, developers in Zurich are paid, on average, $110,123 or $9,176 per month.
In terms of programming language, there are some differences reflected in salaries:
- SQL developers are paid the most in Switzerland, $108,868.
- Golang pays an average of $108,827.
- Rust is the third-highest paid language at $108,308.
- The average yearly salary for Android is $104,256.
- Python developers are paid $100,315.
- Whereas iOS developers get paid $96,161.
- Ruby developers are worth $93,280.
- And Java developers get paid, on average, $91,706.
- PHP developers get paid $88,131.
- JavaScript developers are paid the least in Switzerland, $80,285.
| LANGUAGE | SALARY |
|---|---|
| SQL | $108,868 |
| Golang | $108,827 |
| Rust | $108,308 |
| Android | $104,256 |
| Python | $100,315 |
| iOS | $96,161 |
| Ruby | $93,280 |
| Java | $91,706 |
| PHP | $88,131 |
| JavaScript | $80,285 |
The average software engineering salary in the United Kingdom
The average developer salary in the United Kingdom is $55,275 per year or $4,606 per month.
However, the average software developer salary in London is significantly higher; $73,993 per year or $6,166 per month.
The average junior software developer salary in the UK is $38,664 per year or $3,222 per month, and the average senior developer salary is $77,603 per year or $6,466 per month.
Average salaries can vary a lot depending on the language. For instance, the average salary for Ruby is far higher than for PHP or SQL.
- Ruby developers are paid the most in the UK, $85,354.
- Golang pays $79,726, and Rust $73,593.
- iOS developers tend to be paid $73,147.
- Python developers have an average salary of $67,570.
- Java developers are paid $46,774.
- Android developers are paid $44,112.
- JavaScript developers earn $42,924.
- And last on the list are SQL developers at $39,973, and PHP developers at $36,832.
