Software Engineer Salary: What You Really Earn in India and Abroad

When you hear software engineer salary, the amount of money a person earns for writing code, building apps, or managing systems in tech companies. Also known as developer pay, it varies wildly depending on where you work, what you build, and who hires you. In India, entry-level roles might start at ₹6-8 lakhs a year, but top graduates from IITs landing jobs at Google or Microsoft in Bengaluru or Hyderabad can pull in ₹30 lakhs or more—sometimes even double that. Meanwhile, in the US, a junior software engineer in San Francisco can easily earn $100,000+ before bonuses, and senior roles at FAANG companies regularly hit $250,000+ when you add stock options.

It’s not just about the company. Your specialization, the specific area of software development you focus on, like AI, cloud systems, or cybersecurity matters more than the college you went to. Engineers who know cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, or who build AI models using Python and TensorFlow, earn way more than those stuck maintaining old legacy code. The same goes for location, where you live and work, which directly affects pay scales due to cost of living and demand. A developer in Bangalore might make half what someone in Seattle does—but their rent is also a fraction of the cost. And don’t forget remote work: many Indian engineers now work for US startups and earn in dollars while living at home.

What’s surprising? It’s not always the biggest names that pay the most. Startups in India with Series B funding often match IIT placements just to get good engineers. And if you’re self-taught, your portfolio can beat a degree—especially if you’ve shipped real apps, contributed to open source, or built something people use. The Google certificate, a short-term credential from Google that validates practical tech skills without requiring a degree can open doors, but only if you pair it with real projects. The real winners? People who keep learning, ship code consistently, and don’t wait for permission to grow.

There’s no single number for software engineer salary. It’s a mix of skill, location, timing, and hustle. What you see on Glassdoor or LinkedIn is just the tip. The real story is in the engineers who moved from small towns to remote roles at global firms, who learned Python after college, or who turned a side project into a full-time job. Below, you’ll find real stories from IITians in Silicon Valley, salary trends from India’s top recruiters, and what actually gets you paid more than your degree ever could.