Expert Software Engineer salary in Fort Collins, CO

Based on 18 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Loveland, Ft. Collins, Timnath.

Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE

Median salary$159,266
Middle 50%$150.5k–$182.1k
vs. all levels here+21%comparison median $132,091
Filings18FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $150,530 and $211,867.
PercentileSalary
10th$150,530
25th$150,530
50th (median)$159,266
75th$182,073
90th$194,855

Salary by year

Median salary

$100k $135k $170k FY2020: median $114,546 (17 filings) FY2022: median $135,000 (23 filings) FY2023: median $156,992 (12 filings) FY2024: median $147,406 (12 filings) FY2025: median $154,898 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 17 filings FY20 FY2021: 9 filings FY21 FY2022: 23 filings FY22 FY2023: 12 filings FY23 FY2024: 12 filings FY24 FY2025: 14 filings FY25 FY2026: 4 filings FY26 23
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$114,546$102,898$130,52017
FY2021–––9
FY2022$135,000$123,154$155,00023
FY2023$156,992$139,733$162,50012
FY2024$147,406$140,000$154,11612
FY2025$154,898$150,530$165,87214
FY2026–––4

Cost of living

Fort Collins's median expert Software Engineer salary of $159,266 is worth about $157,500 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Fort Collins = 101.1).

Compared with all workers here

All Software Developers in the Fort Collins, CO area earned a median of $133,990 in May 2025 (1,820 employed). The H-1B median here is $159,266, 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Companytoo few6
Inteltoo few2
Hptoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 4
Mid-level · Level II $110,490 33
Senior · Level III $136,559 22
Expert · Level IV $159,266 18

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$105,373$110,49033
Senior · Level III$134,867$136,55922
Expert · Level IV$150,530$159,26618

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.