Expert Software Engineer salary in Houston, TX
Based on 721 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Katy, Spring, Cypress, Sugar Land, Richmond.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $149,718 |
| 25th | $149,947 |
| 50th (median) | $156,998 |
| 75th | $178,209 |
| 90th | $205,920 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $132,830 | $128,482 | $143,702 | 311 |
| FY2021 | $132,706 | $124,000 | $148,000 | 309 |
| FY2022 | $135,319 | $127,000 | $151,000 | 453 |
| FY2023 | $140,010 | $130,000 | $155,917 | 425 |
| FY2024 | $152,000 | $142,666 | $170,000 | 287 |
| FY2025 | $158,000 | $149,947 | $180,000 | 365 |
| FY2026 | $156,499 | $149,718 | $177,500 | 356 |
Cost of living
Houston's median expert Software Engineer salary of $156,998 is worth about $159,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Houston = 98.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Houston, TX area earned a median of $129,440 in May 2025 (22,940 employed). The H-1B median here is $156,998, 21% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase | $170,000 | 55 |
| Deloitte | $149,833 | 38 |
| EY | $233,971 | 24 |
| Hp | $149,833 | 22 |
| IBM | $182,830 | 16 |
| Oracle | $149,833 | 14 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | $149,718 | 11 |
| USA Waste-Management Resources | $149,833 | 10 |
| EOG Resources | too few | 9 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 8 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $84,094 | 780 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $105,976 | 2,531 |
| Senior · Level III | $130,541 | 790 |
| Expert · Level IV | $156,998 | 721 |
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 | $79,851 | $84,094 | 780 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $103,210 | $105,976 | 2,531 |
| Senior · Level III | $127,837 | $130,541 | 790 |
| Expert · Level IV | $149,718 | $156,998 | 721 |
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.