Senior Software Engineer salary in Baltimore, MD
Based on 174 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Columbia, Owings Mills, Ellicott City, Linthicum Heights, Hanover.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $151,091 |
| 25th | $151,100 |
| 50th (median) | $152,000 |
| 75th | $162,000 |
| 90th | $174,989 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $117,856 | $108,250 | $121,181 | 424 |
| FY2021 | $120,000 | $117,894 | $128,980 | 267 |
| FY2022 | $120,454 | $118,000 | $135,000 | 238 |
| FY2023 | $138,500 | $137,259 | $143,242 | 134 |
| FY2024 | $140,000 | $139,610 | $151,840 | 103 |
| FY2025 | $152,000 | $151,840 | $167,076 | 97 |
| FY2026 | $151,200 | $151,091 | $156,550 | 77 |
Cost of living
Baltimore's median senior Software Engineer salary of $152,000 is worth about $145,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Baltimore = 104.5).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Baltimore, MD area earned a median of $138,900 in May 2025 (16,850 employed). The H-1B median here is $152,000, 9% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| T. Rowe Price Associates | $152,000 | 21 |
| Capgemini America | too few | 8 |
| Softrams | too few | 8 |
| Cisco Systems | too few | 6 |
| EY | too few | 5 |
| Digital Management | too few | 4 |
| Allegis Group | too few | 3 |
| International Software Systems | too few | 3 |
| Kforce | too few | 3 |
| Microsoft | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $97,614 | 201 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $124,738 | 567 |
| Senior · Level III | $152,000 | 174 |
| Expert · Level IV | $180,175 | 58 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $97,614 | $97,614 | 201 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $122,013 | $124,738 | 567 |
| Senior · Level III | $151,091 | $152,000 | 174 |
| Expert · Level IV | $180,149 | $180,175 | 58 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.