Salary report · Houston, TX

What is the average Software Engineer salary in Houston, TX?

Software Engineers in Houston earn a median of $137,600 per year — about 4% above the national average. Pay ranges from $99,100 (25th percentile) to $213,300 (90th percentile).

25th percentile
$99,100
Median
$137,600
75th percentile
$176,100
90th percentile
$213,300
YoY change
+4.3%

Software Engineer salary by experience level

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$89,400
Mid · 3–5 yrs
$137,600
Senior · 6–8 yrs
$176,100
Lead · 8+ yrs
$199,500

How Houston pay compares

Houston median$137,600
National median$132,270
Cost-of-living adjusted(COL index 96)$143,300

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

5-year salary trend

$116K
2022
$121K
2023
$127K
2024
$132K
2025
$138K
2026

Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 4.3%.

Software Engineer job market in Houston

Houston is dominated by energy, healthcare and aerospace. Texas has no state income tax, which boosts effective take-home pay vs coastal cities.

An estimated 8,100 software engineers work in the Houston 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 Houston

Software Engineer salary in other cities

FAQ

How much does a Software Engineer make in Houston, TX?+

Software Engineers in Houston earn a median of $137,600 per year — about 4% above the national average of $132,270.

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

Entry-level Software Engineers in Houston typically earn around $89,400 per year. Salaries scale to about $199,500 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.

Is $137,600 a good Software Engineer salary in Houston?+

$137,600 is the median, meaning half of Software Engineers in Houston earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 96, that's roughly $143,300 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.

How fast is Software Engineer pay growing in Houston?+

Software Engineer salaries in Houston grew about 4.3% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +25%.

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

The 90th percentile Software Engineer salary in Houston is around $213,300. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.

Are you being paid fairly in Houston?

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

Check my salary →

Stay Ahead With RealProfits

Get practical insights, new tools, and smarter ways to think about money, work, and your future.