Senior Software Performance Engineer Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Software Performance Engineer in the United States is $131,473 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $63.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $146,837
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $119,168 to $139,515
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $107,965
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View as table View as graph 25% $119,168 10% $107,965 90% $146,837 75% $139,515 $131,473 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Senior Software Performance Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $139,515 $11,626 $2,683 $67
Average $131,473 $10,956 $2,528 $63
25th Percentile $119,168 $9,931 $2,292 $57
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Key Factors That Influence Senior Software Performance Engineer Salaries

A Senior Software Performance 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 Senior Software Performance Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Senior Software Performance 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): $127,200
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $128,055
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $129,764
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $133,815
  • Expert (over 8 years): $136,665
Levels Salary
Entry Level Senior Software Performance Engineer$127,200
Intermediate Level Senior Software Performance Engineer$128,055
Senior Level Senior Software Performance Engineer$129,764
Specialist Level Senior Software Performance Engineer$133,815
Expert Level Senior Software Performance Engineer$136,665
$127,200 0 yr
$128,055 < 2 yrs
$129,764 2-4 yrs
$133,815 5-8 yrs
$136,665 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Senior Software Performance Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Senior Software Performance Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $145,567.
  • California: $145,015.
  • Massachusetts: $143,082.

Top Paying Cities for Senior Software Performance 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: $165,827
  • San Francisco: $164,197
  • Oakland: $160,555

What Skills Can Increase a Senior Software Performance Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 3.76% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Programming (Mentioned in 3.79% Job Postings): Executing logic to facilitate computing operations and functionality in one or more languages.
  • SQL (Mentioned in 2.54% Job Postings): Structured Query Language) is a domain-specific language used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS).
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 3.76%
Programming 3.79%
SQL 2.54%
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 Senior Software Performance Engineer's salary.
  • Microservices: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Kubernetes: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Microservices
 $140,676
7%
Commitment
 $138,047
5%
Kubernetes
 $136,732
4%
Insight
 $136,732
4%
Docker
 $136,732
4%
Continuous Learning
 $136,732
4%
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Senior Software Performance Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Senior Software Performance 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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on January 01, 2026
$119,168
Average $131,473/year
$139,515
$9,931
Average $10,956/month
$11,626
$2,292
Average $2,528/week
$2,683
$57
Average $63/hour
$67
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $139,515 $11,626 $2,683 $67
Average $131,473 $10,956 $2,528 $63
25th Percentile $119,168 $9,931 $2,292 $57

Salaries of jobs related to Senior Software Performance Engineer

Salary Trends for Senior Software Performance Engineer

Salaries for a Senior Software Performance Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $119,938 in 2023 to around $118,148 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Senior Software Performance Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Senior Software Performance Engineer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$119,938
2024
$119,524
2025
$118,148
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $119,938
2024 $119,524
2025 $118,148
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Senior Software Performance Engineer

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Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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