Expert Software Engineer salary in Portland, ME
Based on 20 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Westbrook, Freeport, South Portland, Yarmouth, Scarborough.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $140,217 |
| 25th | $141,623 |
| 50th (median) | $151,085 |
| 75th | $160,000 |
| 90th | $170,500 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $109,500 | $103,808 | $115,000 | 16 |
| FY2021 | $115,000 | $109,000 | $126,000 | 17 |
| FY2022 | $119,600 | $106,394 | $127,000 | 15 |
| FY2023 | $132,683 | $125,000 | $136,011 | 19 |
| FY2024 | $139,003 | $123,750 | $151,500 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $151,060 | $141,000 | $170,000 | 13 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 7 |
Cost of living
Portland's median expert Software Engineer salary of $151,085 is worth about $148,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Portland = 101.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Portland, ME area earned a median of $128,710 in May 2025 (1,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $151,085, 17% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| IDEXX Laboratories | too few | 7 |
| Wex | too few | 6 |
| L.L.Bean | too few | 5 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 8 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,000 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 5 |
| Expert · Level IV | $151,085 | 20 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $98,176 | $104,000 | 31 |
| Expert · Level IV | $140,358 | $151,085 | 20 |
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.