What are the main factors that influence a Software Designer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Software Designer's salary?

A Software Designer's salary grows with experience: a Software Architect II (2-4 years)earns $95,089, a Software Architect III (4-7 years)earns $129,464, a Software Designer (7+ years)earns $146,565, a Software Architect V (7-10 years)earns $177,823, a Software Architect VI (10-12 years)earns $223,212,

What are the highest paying states for a Software Designer?

Software Designer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Software Designer roles are District of Columbia $163,076, California $162,458, Massachusetts $160,292. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Software Designer roles make?

Salaries for Software Designer level roles vary by specialization: Package Designer IV: $116,041; Graphic Designer IV: $104,990; Package Designer III: $95,054; Sr Graphic Designer: $85,002; Graphic Designer III: $84,983.

How do different companies affect a Software Designer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Software Designer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Software Designer Salary in the United States

How much does a Software Designer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Software Designer in the United States is $147,287 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $71.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $166,055
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $136,160 to $157,111
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $126,029

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Software Designer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$157,111	$13,093	$3,021	$76
Average	$147,287	$12,274	$2,832	$71
25th Percentile	$136,160	$11,347	$2,618	$65

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Key Factors That Influence Software Designer Salaries

A Software Designer'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Software Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Software Designer'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): $95,089
Early Career (1-2 years): $129,464
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $146,565
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $177,823
Expert (over 8 years): $223,212

Levels	Salary
Software ... Level Software Designer	$95,089
Software ... Level Software Designer	$129,464
Software ... Level Software Designer	$146,565
Software ... Level Software Designer	$177,823
Software ... Level Software Designer	$223,212

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Software Designer 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 Software Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $163,076.
California: $162,458.
Massachusetts: $160,292.

District of Columbia $163,076 California $162,458 Massachusetts $160,292 Washington $159,703 New Jersey $159,644 Alaska $159,438 Connecticut $157,406 New York $156,581

Hawaii $153,944 Rhode Island $152,707 Maryland $151,868 Minnesota $150,719 Colorado $150,277 Illinois $150,130 Oregon $149,570 Delaware $149,158

New Hampshire $148,898 Virginia $148,318 Pennsylvania $146,624 Nevada $145,770 North Dakota $145,490 Michigan $145,048 Wisconsin $144,886 Vermont $144,562

Texas $143,664 Maine $143,605 Arizona $143,516 Ohio $143,413 Georgia $142,058 Indiana $141,381 Wyoming $141,248 Utah $141,042

Iowa $140,954 Kansas $140,247 Louisiana $140,040 North Carolina $139,967 Missouri $139,937 Florida $139,363 Montana $139,054 Nebraska $138,759

Kentucky $138,597 South Carolina $138,008 Tennessee $137,640 Idaho $137,492 New Mexico $136,417 Oklahoma $136,182 Alabama $135,313 South Dakota $133,854

Arkansas $133,059 West Virginia $132,632 Mississippi $131,351

Top Paying Cities for Software Designers

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: $185,773
San Francisco: $183,947
Oakland: $179,867

San Jose, CA $185,773

San Francisco, CA $183,947

Oakland, CA $179,867

New York, NY $170,691

Queens Village, NY $169,586

Paramus, NJ $168,408

Passaic, NJ $168,261

Bergenfield, NJ $168,113

Stamford, CT $167,892

Huntington, NY $167,745

Newark, NJ $166,788

Bridgeport, CT $166,493

New Brunswick, NJ $166,007

Vallejo, CA $165,698

Middlesex, NJ $165,610

Somerset, NJ $165,477

Petaluma, CA $165,138

Santa Cruz, CA $164,564

Boston, MA $164,269

Monterey, CA $163,533

Fairbanks, AK $163,430

Los Angeles, CA $163,150

Washington, DC $163,076

Seattle, WA $162,811

Santa Rosa, CA $162,782

Juneau, AK $162,354

Orange, CA $161,868

Anchorage, AK $161,603

Anaheim, CA $161,500

Santa Ana, CA $161,279

Nassau, NY $161,191

Long Beach, CA $161,132

Danbury, CT $161,088

Santa Maria, CA $160,587

Everett, WA $160,558

Bremerton, WA $159,836

Trenton, NJ $159,556

Sacramento, CA $159,497

San Diego, CA $159,423

Brockton, MA $159,365

Tacoma, WA $159,306

Santa Barbara, CA $159,099

Lowell, MA $158,510

New Suffolk, NY $158,451

Nashua, NH $158,275

Lompoc, CA $158,039

Ventura, CA $157,892

Stockton, CA $157,847

New Haven, CT $157,553

Atlantic City, NJ $157,170

Hartford, CT $156,846

Modesto, CA $156,772

Poughkeepsie, NY $156,448

New Britain, CT $156,375

Olympia, WA $156,168

Kennewick, WA $156,168

New London, CT $156,139

Norwich, CT $156,095

Lawrence, MA $156,021

Bakersfield, CA $155,609

Riverside, CA $155,403

New Bedford, MA $155,403

Richland, WA $155,255

Portsmouth, NH $155,137

Vineland, NJ $155,108

San Bernardino, CA $154,990

Boulder, CO $154,578

Worcester, MA $154,460

Portland, OR $154,327

Saint Paul, MN $154,151

Minneapolis, MN $154,151

Philadelphia, PA $153,944

Honolulu, HI $153,164

Springfield, MA $152,648

Providence, RI $152,634

Chicago, IL $152,206

Bellingham, WA $152,030

Baltimore, MD $151,868

Chico, CA $151,499

Wilmington, DE $151,249

Pittsfield, MA $151,102

Manchester, NH $150,822

Spokane, WA $150,174

Denver, CO $150,159

Albany, NY $149,467

Troy, NY $149,408

Schenectady, NY $149,099

Burlington, VT $148,775

Portland, ME $148,259

Salem, OR $148,141

Yakima, WA $148,112

Ann Arbor, MI $148,068

Rochester, MN $147,655

Fresno, CA $147,582

Reno, NV $147,582

Milwaukee, WI $147,449

Detroit, MI $147,302

Allentown, PA $147,258

Carson City, NV $147,243

Houston, TX $147,022

Colorado Springs, CO $147,007

Syracuse, NY $146,934

Eugene, OR $146,654

Bismarck, ND $146,477

Gary, IN $146,477

Galveston, TX $146,477

Springfield, OR $146,359

Medford, OR $146,006

Fort Collins, CO $145,947

Austin, TX $145,829

Mesa, AZ $145,520

Phoenix, AZ $145,490

Dallas, TX $145,446

Reading, PA $145,358

Saint Cloud, MN $145,299

Concord, NH $145,166

Madison, WI $145,107

Utica, NY $144,709

Raleigh, NC $144,592

Las Vegas, NV $144,577

Rochester, NY $144,474

Des Moines, IA $144,459

Atlanta, GA $144,223

Battle Creek, MI $144,179

Salt Lake City, UT $144,135

Lancaster, PA $143,914

Champaign, IL $143,885

Harrisburg, PA $143,708

Durham, NC $143,575

Kansas City, MO $143,561

Kansas City, KS $143,531

Fort Worth, TX $143,516

Boca Raton, FL $143,458

Cleveland, OH $143,443

Columbus, OH $143,413

Pittsburgh, PA $143,399

Richmond, VA $143,340

Indianapolis, IN $143,310

Cincinnati, OH $143,119

Petersburg, VA $142,898

Billings, MT $142,574

Lansing, MI $142,574

Huntsville, AL $142,574

Lebanon, PA $142,559

Dayton, OH $142,544

Pueblo, CO $142,544

Appleton, WI $142,500

Buffalo, NY $142,441

Racine, WI $142,368

Charlotte, NC $142,353

Saint Louis, MO $142,309

Springfield, IL $142,250

Elkhart, IN $142,220

York, PA $142,220

Gastonia, NC $142,206

Benton Harbor, MI $142,206

Beaumont, TX $142,117

Lorain, OH $142,088

Toledo, OH $142,029

Binghamton, NY $141,955

Rock Hill, SC $141,940

Rockford, IL $141,867

Fargo, ND $141,793

Elyria, OH $141,793

Flagstaff, AZ $141,690

Fort Lauderdale, FL $141,602

Miami, FL $141,513

Duluth, MN $141,278

Bangor, ME $141,086

Cedar Rapids, IA $140,924

Louisville, KY $140,851

Grand Rapids, MI $140,821

Hialeah, FL $140,806

Casper, WY $140,600

Scranton, PA $140,423

New Orleans, LA $140,379

Virginia Beach, VA $140,365

Akron, OH $140,291

Peoria, IL $140,099

Sarasota, FL $140,070

Green Bay, WI $139,967

Baton Rouge, LA $139,893

Charleston, SC $139,864

Nashville, TN $139,820

Jamestown, NY $139,790

Davenport, IA $139,790

Tucson, AZ $139,716

Cheyenne, WY $139,672

Saint Petersburg, FL $139,628

Tampa, FL $139,599

Omaha, NE $139,569

Port Arthur, TX $139,510

Evansville, IN $139,510

Bradenton, FL $139,451

Santa Fe, NM $139,186

Orlando, FL $139,039

Clearwater, FL $138,877

Canton, OH $138,568

La Crosse, WI $138,568

Grand Forks, ND $138,523

Albuquerque, NM $138,479

Tulsa, OK $138,479

Newport News, VA $138,465

High Point, NC $138,420

Ogden, UT $138,361

Corpus Christi, TX $138,244

Laramie, WY $138,155

Norfolk, VA $138,155

Rock Island, IL $138,067

Saginaw, MI $138,037

Jacksonville, FL $138,023

Salisbury, NC $137,993

Memphis, TN $137,964

Moline, IL $137,890

Fort Myers, FL $137,846

Waterloo, IA $137,654

Spartanburg, SC $137,507

Lincoln, NE $137,433

Fort Wayne, IN $137,404

Birmingham, AL $137,242

Cedar Falls, IA $137,213

Provo, UT $137,198

Springfield, OH $137,183

San Antonio, TX $137,154

Greensboro, NC $137,095

South Bend, IN $137,080

Winston Salem, NC $137,065

Boise, ID $137,021

Savannah, GA $136,918

Muskegon, MI $136,653

Lima, OH $136,476

Lake Charles, LA $136,417

Anderson, IN $136,388

Lexington, KY $136,344

Augusta, GA $136,299

Greenville, SC $136,299

Wichita, KS $136,167

Tuscaloosa, AL $136,167

Columbia, SC $136,034

Bloomington, IN $135,666

Roanoke, VA $135,578

Asheville, NC $135,386

Knoxville, TN $135,136

Shreveport, LA $135,121

Wilmington, NC $134,930

Frankfort, KY $134,650

Oklahoma City, OK $134,547

Chillicothe, OH $134,488

Longview, TX $134,473

Topeka, KS $134,429

Mobile, AL $134,208

Terre Haute, IN $134,149

Erie, PA $134,134

Altoona, PA $134,061

Melbourne, FL $134,016

Amarillo, TX $133,958

Killeen, TX $133,913

Fayetteville, AR $133,796

Sioux Falls, SD $133,692

Chattanooga, TN $133,604

Idaho Falls, ID $133,589

Gainesville, FL $133,280

Portsmouth, OH $133,206

Little Rock, AR $133,177

Lynchburg, VA $133,177

Lafayette, LA $133,118

Youngstown, OH $133,118

Temple, TX $133,059

Daytona Beach, FL $133,030

Clarksville, TN $133,015

Pensacola, FL $133,000

Hopkinsville, KY $132,558

Charleston, WV $132,544

Florence, SC $132,470

Sioux City, IA $132,382

Macon, GA $131,954

Tallahassee, FL $131,940

Fayetteville, NC $131,910

Waco, TX $131,881

Wichita Falls, TX $131,881

Pine Bluff, AR $131,822

Vincennes, IN $131,542

Lubbock, TX $131,483

Great Falls, MT $131,395

Alamogordo, NM $131,380

Abilene, TX $131,262

Rapid City, SD $131,071

Monroe, LA $131,071

Albany, GA $130,982

Huntington, WV $130,968

Jackson, MS $130,953

Greenville, MS $130,938

Parkersburg, WV $130,791

Montgomery, AL $130,761

Johnstown, PA $130,732

Springfield, MO $130,614

Biloxi, MS $130,540

Sumter, SC $130,231

Columbus, GA $130,216

Twin Falls, ID $130,128

Pascagoula, MS $129,937

Kingsport, TN $129,554

Gulfport, MS $129,509

Alexandria, LA $129,023

Fort Smith, AR $128,655

El Paso, TX $128,258

Helena, MT $128,066

Las Cruces, NM $127,595

Harlingen, TX $127,182

Pocatello, ID $127,050

Florence, AL $127,006

Brownsville, TX $126,976

Dothan, AL $126,740

Mcallen, TX $126,667

Columbus, MS $125,577

Altus, OK $124,899

Lawton, OK $124,620

Pierre, SD $124,089

What Skills Can Increase a Software Designer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Leadership (Mentioned in 4.62% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Agile (Mentioned in 3.7% Job Postings): Agile is a development process where feedback is continuously gathered from users to create the best user experience.
Enterprise Architecture (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): Conceptualizing and developing blueprints and structures to direct the enterprise architecture in achieving current and future business goals.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Leadership	4.62%
Agile	3.7%
Enterprise Architecture	1.65%

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 Software Designer's salary.

Architecture Software: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Architecture Software	$151,706	3%
Innovation	$151,706	3%
Insight	$150,233	2%
Product Management	$150,233	2%
Software Engineering	$150,233	2%
Networking	$150,233	2%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Software Designer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Software Designers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Software Designer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $145,673 and $154,268).

Software Designer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Software Designer

No Diploma 0.7%

High School 4.0%

Associates 2.6%

Bachelors 50.0%

Masters 40.7%

Doctorate 2.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.7%
High School	4.0%
Associates	2.6%
Bachelors	50.0%
Masters	40.7%
Doctorate	2.0%

view as graph

Software Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software Designer'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 January 01, 2026

$136,160

Average $147,287/year

$157,111

$11,347

Average $12,274/month

$13,093

$2,618

Average $2,832/week

$3,021

$65

Average $71/hour

$76

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$157,111	$13,093	$3,021	$76
Average	$147,287	$12,274	$2,832	$71
25th Percentile	$136,160	$11,347	$2,618	$65

Salaries of jobs related to Software Designer

Salary Trends for Software Designer

Salaries for a Software Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $133,272 in 2023 to around $130,262 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Software Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Software Designer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$133,272

2024

$132,160

2025

$130,262

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$133,272
2024	$132,160
2025	$130,262
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Software Designer

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Healthcare

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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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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