Expert Software Engineer salary in Salt Lake, UT

Based on 216 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Salt Lake City, Draper, Midvale, Sandy, South Jordan.

Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE

Median salary$160,000
Middle 50%$152.4k–$177.5k
vs. all levels here+26%comparison median $126,750
Filings216FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $144,955 and $255,075.
PercentileSalary
10th$145,000
25th$152,402
50th (median)$160,000
75th$177,500
90th$205,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$110k $145k $180k FY2020: median $125,000 (107 filings) FY2021: median $130,761 (98 filings) FY2022: median $136,265 (159 filings) FY2023: median $145,000 (123 filings) FY2024: median $147,630 (97 filings) FY2025: median $153,355 (90 filings) FY2026: median $165,500 (126 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 107 filings FY20 FY2021: 98 filings FY21 FY2022: 159 filings FY22 FY2023: 123 filings FY23 FY2024: 97 filings FY24 FY2025: 90 filings FY25 FY2026: 126 filings FY26 159
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$125,000$119,434$135,000107
FY2021$130,761$124,550$144,00098
FY2022$136,265$128,533$150,000159
FY2023$145,000$134,691$160,213123
FY2024$147,630$140,000$162,00097
FY2025$153,355$145,000$171,74090
FY2026$165,500$152,402$179,400126

Cost of living

Salt Lake's median expert Software Engineer salary of $160,000 is worth about $158,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Salt Lake = 100.9).

Compared with all workers here

All Software Developers in the Salt Lake, UT area earned a median of $129,600 in May 2025 (19,040 employed). The H-1B median here is $160,000, 23% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Wgu$177,50019
Goldman Sachs$167,50016
Zions Bancorporation$152,40214
Fidelity Investments$152,40213
Ancestry.com Operations$158,05512
Beyondtoo few7
Western Governors Universitytoo few7
Incontacttoo few6
Oracletoo few5
Access Education Servicestoo few4

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $82,000 125
Mid-level · Level II $105,738 416
Senior · Level III $132,642 274
Expert · Level IV $160,000 216

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$72,114$82,000125
Mid-level · Level II$104,499$105,738416
Senior · Level III$128,440$132,642274
Expert · Level IV$152,402$160,000216

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.