Entry-level Software Engineer salary in Trenton, NJ
Based on 199 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Princeton, Pennington, Cranbury, Hamilton, East Windsor.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $84,490 |
| 25th | $85,099 |
| 50th (median) | $95,493 |
| 75th | $96,000 |
| 90th | $110,400 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $72,862 | $65,021 | $76,200 | 97 |
| FY2021 | $79,000 | $74,277 | $90,000 | 93 |
| FY2022 | $80,000 | $70,000 | $81,411 | 99 |
| FY2023 | $85,000 | $81,500 | $85,438 | 244 |
| FY2024 | $89,128 | $83,595 | $90,000 | 212 |
| FY2025 | $95,493 | $84,500 | $96,000 | 153 |
| FY2026 | $92,350 | $85,901 | $105,000 | 46 |
Cost of living
Trenton's median entry-level Software Engineer salary of $95,493 is worth about $92,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Trenton = 103.2).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Trenton, NJ area earned a median of $128,770 in May 2025 (3,390 employed). The H-1B median here is $95,493, 26% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PamTen | $96,000 | 14 |
| Saransh | $95,500 | 10 |
| Bank of America | too few | 6 |
| Rearc | too few | 5 |
| Frontier Works | too few | 4 |
| Guru Consulting Services | too few | 4 |
| Pilot Technologies | too few | 4 |
| Teksolve IT Solutions | too few | 4 |
| Advanced Database & IT Solutions | too few | 3 |
| Enqubes | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $95,493 | 199 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $108,250 | 629 |
| Senior · Level III | $143,449 | 248 |
| Expert · Level IV | $163,772 | 220 |
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 | $84,490 | $95,493 | 199 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $107,037 | $108,250 | 629 |
| Senior · Level III | $130,603 | $143,449 | 248 |
| Expert · Level IV | $153,005 | $163,772 | 220 |
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.