SWE Salary by Location Comparison

Understanding how your software engineering (SWE) salary compares across different locations is crucial for evaluating job offers, negotiating compensation, or planning a relocation. This SWE salary by location comparison tool provides an estimate of how total compensation—including base salary, equity, and bonuses—varies between major U.S. tech hubs and remote roles. Salaries in the tech industry can differ significantly depending on market demand, cost of living, and local competition for talent, with San Francisco and Seattle typically offering the highest compensation, while other cities may lag by 20-40%.

For example, according to Levels.fyi, a Level 5 (L5) software engineer at a FAANG company in San Francisco might earn a base salary of $180,000–$220,000, while the same role in Atlanta could range from $130,000–$160,000. Equity and bonuses further amplify these differences, as top-tier companies in high-cost areas often grant more generous RSUs to offset living expenses. This tool leverages data from Levels.fyi, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and LinkedIn Talent Insights to provide a estimates-only comparison of total compensation across locations, adjusted for cost of living and company tier.

Whether you're considering a move, comparing job offers, or benchmarking your current salary, this SWE salary by location comparison tool helps you understand how your compensation stacks up. Input your base salary, select your current and target locations, and adjust for equity and bonuses to see an estimate of how your total compensation might change. Keep in mind that these are general estimates—actual salaries vary based on seniority, negotiation, company policies, and other factors.

For remote roles, this tool uses a national average cost-of-living adjustment, as remote salaries can vary widely depending on company policies. Some companies pay remote employees based on their location, while others offer flat rates regardless of where you live. Use this tool as a starting point for your research, and always verify with concrete job offers or Glassdoor data.

How It Works

This SWE salary by location comparison tool estimates how total compensation (base salary + equity + bonus) changes across locations using data-driven multipliers. Here’s how it calculates your results:

1. Base Salary Adjustment: Your input base salary is adjusted using location-specific multipliers derived from Levels.fyi and BLS cost-of-living data. For example, a $150,000 salary in San Francisco (multiplier = 1.0) might adjust to $112,500 in Atlanta (multiplier = 0.75) to reflect differences in local market rates.
2. Equity and Bonus Calculation: Equity and bonuses are estimated as a percentage of the adjusted base salary. For FAANG/MANGA companies, equity typically ranges from 10–50% of base salary (depending on seniority), while bonuses often range from 0–20%. You can adjust these percentages in the tool.
3. Total Compensation Comparison: The tool sums your adjusted base salary, equity, and bonus to estimate total compensation for both your current and target locations. The difference between the two is displayed as both a dollar amount and a percentage.
4. After-Tax Estimate: Using 2023 federal tax brackets, the tool provides a rough estimate of after-tax salary. This is a simplified calculation and does not account for state taxes, deductions, or other financial factors.

Methodology Note

All data in this tool is labeled as ESTIMATES and is based on public sources, including:

• Levels.fyi: Salary, equity, and bonus data for FAANG/MANGA and other tech companies, crowdsourced from thousands of user submissions.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): Cost-of-living and occupational wage data, including median salaries for software developers across metropolitan areas.
• LinkedIn Talent Insights and Glassdoor: Salary ranges and hiring trends for software engineering roles.

Location multipliers are approximate and derived from median salary differences reported in these sources. For example:

• San Francisco (Bay Area) is set as the baseline (1.0 multiplier) due to the highest market rates.
• Seattle and New York are adjusted to ~82–85% of SF rates, reflecting slightly lower but still competitive salaries.
• Austin, Boston, and Atlanta range from 70–78% of SF rates, while Chicago and remote averages are closer to 60–70%.

Equity and bonus multipliers are based on typical grant ranges from Levels.fyi and may not reflect your specific offer. Always verify with your employer or offer letter. This tool is for informational purposes only and not financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions