Software Designers

Salaries for software designers vary with the size of the company and by location. Salaries may be slightly higher in areas where there is a large concentration of computer companies, such as the Silicon Valley and San Francisco in northern California and Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts, Washington, New York, and other states.

Software developers specializing in systems software earned median salaries of $107,510 in May 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The lowest paid 10 percent averaged $64,240 annually, and the highest paid engineers made $164,590 per year or more.

Most designers work for large companies, which offer a full benefits package that includes health insurance, vacation and sick time, and a profit sharing or retirement plan.