Salary report · Denver, CO

What is the average Software Engineer salary in Denver, CO?

Software Engineers in Denver earn a median of $145,500 per year — about 10% above the national average. Pay ranges from $104,800 (25th percentile) to $225,500 (90th percentile).

25th percentile
$104,800
Median
$145,500
75th percentile
$186,200
90th percentile
$225,500
YoY change
+3.9%

Software Engineer salary by experience level

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$94,600
Mid · 3–5 yrs
$145,500
Senior · 6–8 yrs
$186,200
Lead · 8+ yrs
$211,000

How Denver pay compares

Denver median$145,500
National median$132,270
Cost-of-living adjusted(COL index 121)$120,200

Cost-of-living adjusted is the Denver salary translated into equivalent purchasing power vs the US average (COL index 100). Useful for comparing offers across cities.

5-year salary trend

$125K
2022
$130K
2023
$135K
2024
$140K
2025
$146K
2026

Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 3.9%.

Software Engineer job market in Denver

Denver is a fast-growing tech and aerospace hub. Cost of living has risen but remains below coastal cities; Colorado state tax is a flat 4.4%.

An estimated 2,500 software engineers work in the Denver metro. Daily responsibilities typically include:

  • Write and review code
  • Design system architecture
  • Debug production issues
  • Collaborate with product and design
  • Run code reviews

Related job salaries in Denver

Software Engineer salary in other cities

FAQ

How much does a Software Engineer make in Denver, CO?+

Software Engineers in Denver earn a median of $145,500 per year — about 10% above the national average of $132,270.

What's the entry-level Software Engineer salary in Denver?+

Entry-level Software Engineers in Denver typically earn around $94,600 per year. Salaries scale to about $211,000 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.

Is $145,500 a good Software Engineer salary in Denver?+

$145,500 is the median, meaning half of Software Engineers in Denver earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 121, that's roughly $120,200 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.

How fast is Software Engineer pay growing in Denver?+

Software Engineer salaries in Denver grew about 3.9% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +25%.

Where do Software Engineers in Denver get paid the most?+

The 90th percentile Software Engineer salary in Denver is around $225,500. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.

Are you being paid fairly in Denver?

Run a free comparison against BLS data — see if your salary is below, at, or above the Denver median.

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