Senior Software Engineer salary in Philadelphia, PA
Based on 764 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Wilmington, Malvern, Newark, Exton, West Chester.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $125,653 |
| 25th | $131,602 |
| 50th (median) | $135,200 |
| 75th | $150,000 |
| 90th | $170,435 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $106,000 | $103,563 | $117,425 | 982 |
| FY2021 | $111,000 | $106,000 | $124,800 | 687 |
| FY2022 | $120,000 | $110,000 | $130,135 | 704 |
| FY2023 | $123,000 | $115,000 | $135,000 | 541 |
| FY2024 | $130,000 | $121,900 | $143,260 | 467 |
| FY2025 | $135,000 | $126,000 | $150,000 | 470 |
| FY2026 | $135,527 | $131,602 | $150,000 | 294 |
Cost of living
Philadelphia's median senior Software Engineer salary of $135,200 is worth about $131,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Philadelphia = 102.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Philadelphia, PA area earned a median of $133,040 in May 2025 (28,480 employed). The H-1B median here is $135,200, 2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Capgemini America | $137,196 | 46 |
| JPMorgan Chase | $137,000 | 36 |
| EY | $186,589 | 21 |
| Amazon | $189,735 | 14 |
| Boomi L.P. | $164,077 | 12 |
| M&T Bank | $125,653 | 12 |
| BlackRock | $165,000 | 10 |
| Cognizant | $131,602 | 10 |
| Communications Test Design | too few | 9 |
| Accenture | 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 | $88,088 | 790 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,845 | 2,130 |
| Senior · Level III | $135,200 | 764 |
| Expert · Level IV | $157,500 | 1,158 |
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 | $84,781 | $88,088 | 790 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,845 | $109,845 | 2,130 |
| Senior · Level III | $125,653 | $135,200 | 764 |
| Expert · Level IV | $146,078 | $157,500 | 1,158 |
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.