Can a software engineer make $500,000 a year? (2024)

Yes, a software engineer can make $500,000 a year. However, $500,000 a year is far higher than the average salary of a software engineer.

Software engineers typically earn a salary that falls within the range of $60,000 per year to $130,000 per year. It would be very unlikely for an entry-level software engineer to start out at a salary that exceeds this range.

An exceptional high salary is not unheard of, even into the range of $200,000 per year or more. $500,000 per year would usually be a pretty extreme outlier.

In order to make a salary on the high need of the typical range for a software engineer, one may need additional qualifications. High levels of experience and seniority are often the biggest indicators of a software engineer's earning potential.