Expert Software Engineer salary in Durham, NC
Based on 488 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Morrisville, Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Carrboro.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $161,741 |
| 25th | $161,741 |
| 50th (median) | $161,741 |
| 75th | $164,486 |
| 90th | $179,002 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $124,115 | $119,288 | $131,957 | 222 |
| FY2021 | $126,651 | $126,651 | $137,867 | 202 |
| FY2022 | $132,000 | $131,040 | $145,000 | 273 |
| FY2023 | $143,820 | $141,003 | $154,482 | 205 |
| FY2024 | $154,482 | $154,482 | $164,486 | 176 |
| FY2025 | $164,486 | $164,486 | $168,897 | 214 |
| FY2026 | $161,741 | $161,741 | $161,741 | 274 |
Cost of living
Durham's median expert Software Engineer salary of $161,741 is worth about $165,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Durham = 97.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Durham, NC area earned a median of $135,620 in May 2025 (9,790 employed). The H-1B median here is $161,741, 19% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Investments | $161,741 | 290 |
| IBM | $186,286 | 30 |
| NetApp | $164,486 | 24 |
| Nutanix | $164,486 | 10 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | too few | 9 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 9 |
| Mastech Digital | too few | 7 |
| Cisco Systems | too few | 6 |
| Wgu | too few | 5 |
| Oracle | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $94,515 | 123 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $117,832 | 1,166 |
| Senior · Level III | $141,170 | 413 |
| Expert · Level IV | $161,741 | 488 |
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 | $94,515 | $94,515 | 123 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $116,709 | $117,832 | 1,166 |
| Senior · Level III | $141,170 | $141,170 | 413 |
| Expert · Level IV | $161,741 | $161,741 | 488 |
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.