Raleigh software engineer salary: rankings and context
Here is how that number compares with the rest of the United States, with NC, and with other jobs in Raleigh.
Raleigh vs the national and NC picture
On a United States league table of 21 metros, Raleigh comes 16th. One place higher is Atlanta at US$132,960, one lower is Miami at US$132,650, and San Jose tops the list.
No other NC metro has observed software engineer percentiles here, so Raleigh is judged against the 21-metro national list instead.
Take-home, rent and buying power for Raleigh software engineers
Price levels in Raleigh (index 100) neither inflate nor shrink the paycheck much; adjusted for costs it is worth about US$132,800.
Cash rank and buying-power rank match for Raleigh: 16th of 21.
After a simplified 16% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$9,300 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 18% of that, leaving around US$5,850 after modeled living costs.
If you compared Raleigh with similarly priced cities
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$166,830 (+26% vs Raleigh), and the modeled budget leaves US$2,160 more each month.
A software engineer moving from Raleigh to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 21% to US$160,920, with US$1,780 more left over monthly in our model.
A software engineer moving from Raleigh to Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 1% to US$134,380, with US$100 more left over monthly in our model.
Software Engineer vs other occupations in Raleigh
No tracked occupation in Raleigh out-earns software engineer (9 roles compared); the runner-up, Lawyer, sits at US$131,920.
Entry-level vs senior software engineer pay in Raleigh
Senior pay is the relative strength in Raleigh: US$185,110 at the 90th percentile ranks 15th of 21, while US$80,080 at the 10th ranks 21st.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$289,150 at the 90th percentile, +56% against Raleigh.
How wide software engineer pay runs in Raleigh
Pay is spread out: US$80,080 at the 10th percentile to US$185,110 at the 90th (2.3×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.