Entry-level Software Engineer salary in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
Based on 40 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Louisville, Jeffersonville, La Grange, Prospect, Fisherville.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $76,336 |
| 25th | $76,463 |
| 50th (median) | $76,980 |
| 75th | $80,000 |
| 90th | $87,183 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $58,947 | $55,245 | $64,500 | 21 |
| FY2021 | $67,000 | $66,394 | $79,040 | 39 |
| FY2022 | $66,394 | $66,394 | $70,550 | 33 |
| FY2023 | $72,343 | $68,099 | $77,000 | 21 |
| FY2024 | $75,000 | $72,900 | $79,691 | 31 |
| FY2025 | $76,960 | $76,336 | $80,000 | 25 |
| FY2026 | $78,000 | $76,814 | $86,169 | 15 |
Cost of living
Louisville/Jefferson County's median entry-level Software Engineer salary of $76,980 is worth about $82,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Louisville/Jefferson County = 93.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY area earned a median of $110,270 in May 2025 (2,770 employed). The H-1B median here is $76,980, 30% lower.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Payne-Sparkman Manufacturing | too few | 2 |
| Softdata | too few | 2 |
| VR Vertical | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $76,980 | 40 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,000 | 228 |
| Senior · Level III | $118,615 | 94 |
| Expert · Level IV | $131,576 | 106 |
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 | $76,336 | $76,980 | 40 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $93,746 | $95,000 | 228 |
| Senior · Level III | $112,694 | $118,615 | 94 |
| Expert · Level IV | $130,645 | $131,576 | 106 |
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.