Distinguished Software Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Distinguished Software Engineer make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Distinguished Software Engineer in the United States is $163,129 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $78.

However, a Distinguished Software Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $195,962
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $146,997 to $180,315
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $132,310
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View as table View as graph 25% $146,997 10% $132,310 90% $195,962 75% $180,315 $163,129 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Distinguished Software Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $180,315 $15,026 $3,468 $87
Average $163,129 $13,594 $3,137 $78
25th Percentile $146,997 $12,250 $2,827 $71
Check out Distinguished Software Engineer Job Openings in the United States
Senior Software Engineer

Jobot - Cleveland, OH

Software Engineer Manufacturing Test

HireTalent - Staffing & Recruiting Firm - Mayfield Heights, OH

Software Engineer Lead

V2soft - Cincinnati, OH

Software Test Engineer

Astrion - Dayton, OH

Search More Distinguished Software Engineer Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Distinguished Software Engineer Salaries

A Distinguished Software Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Distinguished Software Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Distinguished Software Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $113,646
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $127,109
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $148,623
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $166,490
  • Expert (over 8 years): $346,813
Levels Salary
Revenue S... Level Distinguished Software Engineer$113,646
Revenue M... Level Distinguished Software Engineer$127,109
Revenue S... Level Distinguished Software Engineer$148,623
Distingui... Level Distinguished Software Engineer$166,490
Chief Rev... Level Distinguished Software Engineer$346,813
$113,646 0 yr
$127,109 < 2 yrs
$148,623 2-4 yrs
$166,490 5-8 yrs
$346,813 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Distinguished Software Engineers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $205,755
  • San Francisco: $203,502
  • Oakland: $199,213

What Skills Can Increase a Distinguished Software Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 5.68% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Contract Review (Mentioned in 2.27% Job Postings): Evaluating, interpreting, and improving the terms used in contractual agreements.
  • Cloud Computing (Mentioned in 1.14% Job Postings): Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The term is generally used to describe data centers available to many users over the Internet. Large clouds, predominant today, often have functions distributed over multiple locations from central servers. If the connection to the user is relatively close, it may be designated an edge server. Clouds may be limited to a single organization (enterprise clouds), be available to many organizations (public cloud), or a combination of both (hybrid cloud). Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale. Advocates of public and hybrid clouds note that cloud computing allows companies to avoid or minimize up-front IT infrastructure costs. Proponents also claim that cloud computing allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with improved manageability and less maintenance, and that it enables IT teams to more rapidly adjust resources to meet fluctuating and unpredictable demand. Cloud providers typically use a "pay-as-you-go" model, which can lead to unexpected operating expenses if administrators are not familiarized with cloud-pricing models.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 5.68%
Contract Review 2.27%
Cloud Computing 1.14%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Distinguished Software Engineer's salary.
  • Delegating: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Pipeline Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Contract Review: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Delegating
$181,073
11%
Pipeline Management
$177,811
9%
Contract Review
$172,917
6%
Alignment
$169,654
4%
Budgeting
$169,654
4%
Big Data
$169,654
4%
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Distinguished Software Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Distinguished Software Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Distinguished Software Engineer

Salaries for a Distinguished Software Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $178,263 in 2023 to around $174,095 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Distinguished Software Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Distinguished Software Engineer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$178,263
2024
$176,894
2025
$174,095
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $178,263
2024 $176,894
2025 $174,095
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Distinguished Software Engineer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Distinguished Software Engineer

Here are companies hiring for Distinguished Software Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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