TL;DR: The United States pays software engineers the most, with a median of $154,765 in Stack Overflow's 2025 survey, followed by Switzerland at $142,592 and Israel at $141,188. Ireland, Denmark, Australia, the UK, Canada, Norway and Germany complete the top 10.
A Swiss developer with less than five years’ experience earns a median $99,194, about $5,000 more than an American at the same stage. Past ten years the order flips, and US seniors earn $170,000 against $154,991 in Switzerland.
Top 10 Countries With the Highest Software Engineer Salaries (2026)
| Rank | Country | Median pay, USD | Middle half, USD | Levels.fyi median, local currency | Respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $154,765 | $115,000 to $200,000 | $195,000 | 3,897 |
| 2 | Switzerland | $142,592 | $117,793 to $167,390 | CHF 131,395 | 306 |
| 3 | Israel | $141,188 | $102,950 to $176,485 | ₪449,954 | 141 |
| 4 | Ireland | $116,015 | $87,011 to $145,018 | €102,410 | 114 |
| 5 | Denmark | $100,933 | $82,426 to $124,416 | DKK 692,694 | 174 |
| 6 | Australia | $100,765 | $81,262 to $123,663 | A$148,864 | 396 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | $95,299 | $68,071 to $129,334 | £89,234 | 1,118 |
| 8 | Canada | $91,198 | $69,310 to $124,029 | CA$136,229 | 659 |
| 9 | Norway | $88,945 | $76,097 to $111,181 | NOK 914,304 | 155 |
| 10 | Germany | $83,531 | $64,040 to $104,413 | €83,563 | 1,540 |
- 1Singapore would rank fifth at a median of $105,451, but only 47 developers there reported pay.
- 2Fully remote developers out-earn fully in-office ones in all six top-10 countries with enough of both. In the UK the gap is 55%.
- 3Levels.fyi puts the median software engineer package in the San Francisco Bay Area at $275,000.
- 4Israel’s senior developers earn 2.6 times what its juniors do, the steepest climb on the list.
The 10 Countries, Ranked
1. United States
An American developer’s city moves pay more than the national figure suggests. Levels.fyi puts the median software engineer package at $275,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area, $250,000 in Greater Seattle and $196,300 in New York, against $195,000 for the whole country.
The survey median of $154,765 counts a broader group than Levels.fyi, whose users skew toward big tech. Even so, 29% of US respondents reported $200,000 or more, and the middle half earn between $115,000 and $200,000, the widest band on the list.
The government figure is lower still. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for software developers at $135,980 in May 2025. It excludes stock and bonus, and it covers employers of all kinds, not only the tech companies that dominate salary sites. Software publishers pay the most, at a median of $164,550.
2. Switzerland
Switzerland lifts the floor rather than the ceiling. Its lowest quarter of developers starts at $117,793, higher than in any other country, including the US at $115,000. Juniors with under five years earn a median $99,194, the best starting pay on the list.
That puts 84% of Swiss developers at $100,000 or more, one point behind the US. The top is flatter, though: 12% of Swiss respondents earn $200,000 or more, against 29% of Americans.
On Levels.fyi, the national median is CHF 131,395, and the Greater Zurich Area is higher at CHF 142,626. Swiss developers who work fully remote reported a median $167,390, against $122,753 for those fully in the office, though both groups are small, at 25 and 42 people.
3. Israel
No country on the list rewards experience like Israel. Developers there with ten or more years earn a median $147,071, 2.6 times the $56,475 paid to those with under five. The same ratio is 1.8 in the US and 1.6 in Switzerland.
The spread shows in the middle band too, which runs from $102,950 to $176,485. Three in four Israeli respondents earn $100,000 or more, and 17% earn $200,000 or more, the second-highest share after the US.
Levels.fyi‘s median for Israel is ₪449,954, about $148,000 at September 2026 exchange rates, which keeps the country third on that measure as well. The survey sample is 141 people, the second smallest in the top 10.
4. Ireland
Ireland pays developers more than any other European Union country on the list, about $15,000 ahead of Denmark. Its median of $116,015 sits between Israel and the Nordic countries, and 65% of Irish respondents earn $100,000 or more, against 27% in Germany.
Remote work is common. Of the 114 Irish respondents, 43 work fully remote, and their median matches the national figure of $116,015. Irish developers are also among the most experienced on the list, with a median of 14 years, and too few juniors answered for a separate junior figure.
Levels.fyi puts the national median at €102,410 and the Greater Dublin Area at €108,038. On its numbers, converted to dollars, Ireland slips one place to fifth, behind the UK.
5. Denmark
Denmark pays newcomers well and compresses the top. Developers with under five years earn a median $79,316, second only to Switzerland, while 2% of Danish respondents reach $200,000.
That makes the Danish band tight at the bottom: the lowest quarter starts at $82,426, above Australia, the UK and Canada. Seniors with ten or more years earn a median $115,396, which is more than Australia’s seniors despite Australia’s near-identical overall median.
Levels.fyi’s Danish median is DKK 692,694, about $107,600, placing Denmark sixth on that measure. The survey median of $100,933 comes from 174 employed developers, whose median experience is ten years.
6. Australia
Australia’s respondents have the most experience in the top 10, a median of 16 years, and that lifts the national figure. Its seniors with ten or more years earn $107,916, less than Denmark’s seniors at $115,396.
Work arrangement matters as much as seniority. Fully remote Australian developers reported a median $110,516, against $79,637 for those fully in the office. Half of all respondents earn $100,000 or more.
City pay differs less than in the US. Levels.fyi puts the national median at A$148,864, Greater Sydney at A$157,037 and Greater Melbourne at A$145,679. Our comparison of Philippines and Australia developer costs sets these salaries against rates in Southeast Asia.
7. United Kingdom
British developers who work fully remote report a median $102,106, 55% more than the $66,029 reported by those fully in the office. That is the widest gap of the six top-10 countries with at least 20 people in each group.
Part of the gap is experience. Remote UK developers have a median of 15 years, against 8 for those in the office. Comparing only developers with ten or more years, the remote premium shrinks to 38%, from $81,685 to $112,657.
The UK has the third-widest middle band on the list, from $68,071 to $129,334. Levels.fyi, at £89,234 or about $120,600, moves it up three places to fourth, the biggest move of any country between the two sources.
8. Canada
Canadian developers earn 41% less than Americans in the survey, a median $91,198 against $154,765. 43% of Canadian respondents earn $100,000 or more.
Remote work narrows it. Fully remote Canadians reported a median $102,142, against $67,851 for those fully in the office, and 313 of the 659 Canadian respondents work fully remote, the largest share of any top-10 country after the US.
Levels.fyi puts the national median at CA$136,229 and the Greater Toronto Area at CA$142,691. Our Philippines vs US and Canada developer cost guide compares both markets with offshore rates.
9. Norway
Norway has the narrowest pay spread in the top 10. The middle half of its developers earn between $76,097 and $111,181, a band of $35,084, and 2% reach $200,000.
Juniors start at a median $68,685 and seniors reach $103,769, so ten years of experience adds about half again, one of the smallest increases on the list. 36% of Norwegian respondents earn $100,000 or more, the lowest share in the top 10 after Germany.
Levels.fyi‘s Norwegian median is NOK 914,304, about $98,700 at September 2026 rates. On that measure Norway edges ahead of Canada, by less than $100.
10. Germany
Germany supplied more salaried developers to the survey than any country except the US, 1,540, which makes its median one of the most reliable here. It is also the lowest in the top 10, and only 27% of German respondents earn $100,000 or more.
Levels.fyi’s figure, which includes stock and bonus, comes to about $97,000. Levels.fyi comes out higher than the survey median in all ten countries, and the dollar gap is widest in the US:
German developers who work fully remote reported a median $92,232, against $69,609 for those fully in the office. Our Philippines vs Western Europe developer cost breakdown covers Germany alongside France and the Netherlands.
New Zealand missed tenth place by $105, at a median $83,426, with the Netherlands next at $81,210.
Hiring Senior Engineers Outside the Top 10
A US developer with ten or more years costs a median $170,000 a year in salary alone. We place senior engineers across nine Asian markets at $3,000 to $6,000 a month, fully loaded with payroll and compliance, and match candidates within 24 hours. Our Asia tech salary index shows local pay by role.
See developer rates in the Philippines, or tell us the role and we will send vetted profiles.
FAQs
How much do software engineers earn in Asia?
Far less outside Singapore. In the same survey, Japan’s median was $58,725, China’s $41,786 and India’s $19,180, from 823 Indian respondents.
Which countries have the most software developers?
The US and India, by GitHub accounts. Our ranking of countries with the most software developers has the full list, and our best programmers by country ranking covers skill.
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