Senior Software Engineer salary in Richmond, VA
Based on 261 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Richmond, VA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Glen Allen, Henrico, Mechanicsville, Ashland, Moseley.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $129,210 |
| 25th | $130,000 |
| 50th (median) | $132,555 |
| 75th | $145,600 |
| 90th | $163,900 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $102,980 | $102,773 | $109,409 | 266 |
| FY2021 | $104,167 | $102,250 | $117,300 | 222 |
| FY2022 | $112,000 | $103,771 | $120,000 | 256 |
| FY2023 | $120,000 | $113,402 | $125,250 | 184 |
| FY2024 | $130,000 | $125,000 | $142,600 | 146 |
| FY2025 | $133,038 | $129,210 | $146,881 | 157 |
| FY2026 | $132,000 | $131,206 | $142,104 | 104 |
Cost of living
Richmond's median senior Software Engineer salary of $132,555 is worth about $135,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Richmond = 97.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Richmond, VA area earned a median of $132,120 in May 2025 (7,680 employed). The H-1B median here is $132,555, 0% 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 | $131,206 | 47 |
| Elevance Health | $139,534 | 20 |
| Amazon | too few | 8 |
| iStream Solutions | too few | 7 |
| CarMax Enterprise Services | too few | 6 |
| Data Concepts | too few | 6 |
| UST | too few | 5 |
| Oracle | too few | 4 |
| Ascendion, Inc. (Formerly known as Collabera, Inc.) | too few | 4 |
| Mitchell/Martin | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $86,549 | 217 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $108,000 | 777 |
| Senior · Level III | $132,555 | 261 |
| Expert · Level IV | $162,100 | 257 |
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 | $86,549 | $86,549 | 217 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $107,890 | $108,000 | 777 |
| Senior · Level III | $129,210 | $132,555 | 261 |
| Expert · Level IV | $154,981 | $162,100 | 257 |
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.