Senior Software Engineer salary in Durham, NC
Based on 413 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $139,214 |
| 25th | $140,000 |
| 50th (median) | $141,170 |
| 75th | $145,000 |
| 90th | $158,075 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $105,000 | $103,334 | $110,000 | 521 |
| FY2021 | $108,659 | $108,472 | $113,339 | 495 |
| FY2022 | $113,339 | $110,000 | $121,000 | 535 |
| FY2023 | $121,222 | $121,222 | $132,413 | 452 |
| FY2024 | $132,413 | $132,413 | $140,000 | 420 |
| FY2025 | $141,170 | $141,170 | $141,373 | 278 |
| FY2026 | $139,500 | $139,214 | $148,000 | 135 |
Cost of living
Durham's median senior Software Engineer salary of $141,170 is worth about $144,700 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 $141,170, 4% 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 | $141,170 | 150 |
| Compunnel Software Group | $140,000 | 30 |
| Cisco Systems | $141,170 | 19 |
| Kforce | $139,214 | 13 |
| Capgemini America | $141,500 | 12 |
| Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | $139,214 | 11 |
| HCLTech | too few | 9 |
| Digipulse Technologies | too few | 9 |
| IBM | too few | 6 |
| Mastech Digital | too few | 6 |
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.