Nearly 70% of job seekers in the United States consider more than one job before accepting an offer. Several factors like work-life balance, compensation, and benefits come into play when deciding whether to accept an offer. This is why most skilled software engineers aim for the companies on the “Best Places to Work” list.
FAANG companies, in this regard, offer lucrative packages, a stimulating work environment that encourages “creativity in coding,” and a host of benefits like life and health insurance, paid vacations, maternity and paternity leaves, and more. Several other tier-1 tech companies offer attractive compensation and fantastic benefits with work-life balance to software engineers.
In this article, we’ll talk about these best companies and the average salaries they offer to software engineers salaries. We’ll cover:
- Best Companies for Software Engineers
- Top Cities for Software Engineering Jobs
- What Makes a Company the Best Place to Work?
- How to Choose the Best Company to Work at as a Software Engineer
Best Companies for Software Engineers
Every year, Glassdoor prepares a list of the best places to work for software engineers and other professions to help candidates identify their dream jobs. In this section, we’ll talk about these top-rated companies to work for as software engineers. We’ve also included their leadership rating and the approximate number of vacancies available in each organization.
Let’s get started!
1. Google
Set up in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is an American multinational information and technology company. Ranked 7th in the “2022 Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor, Google is a $257+ billion company, with over 100,000+ employees worldwide, under Sundar Pichai's leadership since October of 2015.
The annual salary for software engineers ranges between $103,104 - $205,110, depending on the level of expertise. It comes with an array of benefits like equity components and insurance, making it one of the best places to work for software engineers.
2. Microsoft
Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft has a yearly income of more than $198 billion (2022) (statista.com). It is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with Satya Nadella at its helm.
A software engineering manager here takes home a salary of nearly $151,000 (can go up to $504,000). It has over 10,000 employees and hires about 10,000 engineers annually across all locations in North America and Europe.
3. Meta
Meta is arguably a forerunner when it comes to the best companies for software engineers. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Facebook has an annual revenue of nearly $114 billion (2022) (statista.com).
Headed by founder Mark Zuckerberg, Meta provides a horde of benefits to its software engineers, including life and health insurance, maternity and paternity leaves, and unlimited sick time, along with lucrative packages starting from $193,000 and going up to more than $863,000 million.
4. NVIDIA
NVIDIA has been in the GPU production business since 1993. With its revenue ranging from $5-10 billion, NVIDIA specializes in parallel computing graphics, modern AI for self-driving cars, robots, etc. It has offices in over 50 locations worldwide, spread across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, NVIDIA has more than 10,000 employees and is a highly sought-after firm among people looking for the best companies for software engineers. Competitive salaries, employee-friendly policies, and other benefits are a few factors accounting for NVIDIA's popularity.
Salary packages for experienced software engineers vary between $1,00,829 and $2,09,511, depending on the experience.
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5. Adobe
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, Adobe is a global leader in providing digital media marketing solutions. It also has operations in the digital media industry. Adobe has a highly employee-friendly workplace that prioritizes employee health, innovation, and growth to create a thriving work environment.
Lucrative packages ranging between $101,007 and $182,912, coupled with an array of benefits, make it one of the best companies to work for as a software engineer.
6. Salesforce
Salesforce is an extremely popular software company that assists companies in managing customer relationships by offering a range of enterprise applications, including marketing analytics, sales automation, and more. It pays its software engineers an annual package ranging between $181,000 and $754,000 and offers a host of benefits and a thriving workplace.
With an approachable and dependable leadership, which values innovation and encourages individual contribution, Salesforce consistently makes it to the top of the list of best places to work. It has over 10,000 employees, with its revenue exceeding $31 billion (2023) (statista.com). It carries its operations worldwide, including Asia, Oceania, and South America.
7. Apple
Apple is an American company operating in the information and technology sector since 1976. With a high diversity and inclusion rating from its employees, it is one of the most popular technology companies in the US.
Apple offers lucrative salary packages ranging between $96,405 and $200,851, depending on your experience as a software engineer. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, it has more than 10,000 employees and garners a yearly revenue of $394.33 billion (2022) (statista.com). Various benefits like health and life insurance, employee stock purchase program, and Roth 401k, among others, make it a favorite company for many software engineers.
8. Amazon
An American multinational company, Amazon, is based in Seattle, Washington. It hires more than 20,000 software engineers worldwide annually. Salary packages vary between $97,795 and $187,688, depending on the experience and skillset.
Comprehensive health care benefits, including paternity leaves, immigration assistance, and more, are offered, making it one of the best places to work for software engineers.
9. Netflix
Netflix is an American multimedia streaming platform, providing content in over 100 languages. Its services are available in over 190 countries, with Reed Hastings holding its CEO position.
As a senior software engineer at Netflix, you can earn anywhere between $88,520 - $213,648, depending on your job role. Flexible work hours, the option to work remotely, free transportation and meals, and a healthy work-life balance make it a desirable place to work.
10. SAP
SAP is a market leader in developing enterprise application software and has an extensive global network of clients and partners.
A software engineering manager at SAP earns a median salary of around $122,000, while an experienced software engineer earns about $210,000. A host of benefits, including a custom work-station, unlimited sick time, as well as a health savings account, make it one of the best companies to work for as a software engineer.
11. Procore Technologies
Procore Technologies is a major developer and provider of management construction software. Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, it began its operations in 1992, and the Procore App Marketplace has more than 150 partner solutions that are connected to Procore platforms as of 2019.
The average salary of software engineers at Procore Technologies ranges from $126,000 to $182,000 annually, along with a host of benefits like health insurance, paternity leave, free meals, and more.
Its offices are located in North America (Carpinteria, Portland, San Francisco, and more), Europe (London), and Oceania (Sydney). It has nearly 5000 employees, with Craig Courtemanche leading the workforce.
12. Bain & Company
- Rating - 4.6/5
- Avg. Base Salary - $109,085/year
Bain & Company took the top spot in the list of Best Places to Work in 2021. Founded in 1973, it is a global consulting firm with offices in more than 38 countries in the world. Bain consistently features in the list of best companies to work for as a software engineer, and the CEO, Manny Maceda, is a highly rated leader.
Moreover, compensation for software engineers at Bain ranges from $91,832 - $188,954 per year, depending on the experience and role.
13. Delta Air Lines
Operating since 1929, it is a famous airline company leading in commercial trans-Atlantic flights. It has a workforce of more than 10,000, with its headquarters in Atlanta. Delta Air Lines has a yearly revenue of over $50.6 billion (2022) (ir.delta.com), with offices in more than ten states in the US.
With Ed Bastian at the helm, it regularly lists among the best companies to work for as a software engineer, and its compensation bracket ranges from $82,072 to $148,725.
14. HubSpot
HubSpot is a CRM platform that provides software and tools to help businesses grow. Set up in 2006, it has competitors in Google, Facebook, Amazon, and the likes. It is rapidly becoming a preference for software engineers looking for the best places to work. HubSpot has nearly 3,387 (2019) full-time employees with Brian Halligan as their Chief, and its operating locations are spread over North and South Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.
The median salary for software engineers at HubSpot varies between $97,427 and $182,870.
15. McKinsey & Company
McKinsey is a consulting firm that works with leaders of various sectors and helps tackle possible hurdles along the way. This includes assistance in growth, entering new markets, and decisive partnerships.
McKinsey caters to 90 of the top 100 companies on Fortune's Global 1000 list. Founded in 1926 in New York, it has over 10,000 employees, with more than 120 offices spread across Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.
McKinsey also provides its services to over 80 governments, helping wrap up 4000+ projects in the last decade. Kevin Sneader leads the pack, and employee salaries range between $89,180 and $187,438. McKinsey is considered one of the best places for software engineers to work with its long list of benefits and a stimulating work environment.
16. Lululemon
Lululemon has been in the technical athletic clothing apparel business since 1998. With net revenue of more than $8.1 billion (2022) (statista.com), it is one of the best places for software engineers to grow in a highly stimulating environment.
Salaries of experienced software engineers vary from $77k to $153k. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, it has more than 10,000 employees and operates at more than 500 locations (2020). It has a research and development center with more than 50 deployed developers and scientists.
17. H E B
H E B is an American supermarket chain based in San Antonio, Texas. It has more than 300 stores spread across the US and provides an encouraging, developing, and inclusive work culture.
Ranking 10th in the list of “Best Places to Work in 2021,” software engineers earn between $81,369 and $1,71,536.
Founded in 1905 by Florence Butt, it has more than 100,000 full-time employees, with Charles Butt as its Chairman. The company has a yearly revenue of more than $32.8 billion (2021) (forbes.com). Its benefits include free meals, health and life insurance benefits, fair remunerations, and more.
18. Mathworks
Founded in 1984, Mathworks is known for developing mathematical computing software solutions and is the creator of the very popular and widely-used simulation and data analytics products MATLAB and Simulink. MATLAB is used to build AI models and systems.
President John N. Little heads this billion-dollar (craft.co) revenue software company. The average base salary for software engineers is approximately $127,318 and goes as high as $169,717 + additional components for the right skill sets.
19. Akamai
Akamai provides internet cybersecurity and cloud services and is a leading content delivery network (CDN). Akamai operates one of the biggest worldwide distributed computing platforms. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Akamai has offices in multiple locations across Asia, Europe, and North America. Akamai operates three global Centers of Excellence (COEs), which focus on cybersecurity, IoT, and AI.
Founded in 1998 and currently headed by CEO Frank Leighton, Akamai raked in $936 million in revenue in 2nd quarter 2023. Software engineers are highly rewarded with average base salaries of $138,283 and going as high as a lucrative $179,436, making it a top place to work for software engineers. As of 2021, Akamai has about 88,00 employees.
20. ServiceNow
ServiceNow, founded in 2003, is a leading provider of enterprise IT cloud computing platforms for digital workflows that enable businesses to enhance productivity. Headed by Bill McDermott,
ServiceNow services over 7,400 customers and about 80% of Fortune 500 companies and has a revenue of $5.83 billion (fiscal 2021).
The average software engineer (base) salary at ServiceNow is $120,430. Experienced software engineers stand to earn as much as $164,594 plus cash and stock bonuses, when applicable.
The founders of ServiceNow, David Loo, Fred Luddy, Bow Ruggeri, and Don Goodliffe, believe in technology for the service of people and built the company on empathy. A combination of learning, good pay, and conducive work culture makes it a great place for software engineers to work.
21. DocuSign
Founded in 2003, DocuSign’s eSignature is the go-to electronic signature for all devices, used by over 100 million users worldwide. DocuSign, with 1 million+ customers in 180+ countries, is stewarded by its CEO Daniel Springer.
DocuSign enables paper-to-digital management of agreements by automating the processes of preparation, signing, and actioning. The average salary paid to software engineers at DocuSign is $133,783. Experienced software engineers can earn upwards of $237,000.
22. Rivian
Rivian is a notable automotive tech player and operates to fulfill its mission to protect the planet and its cultures. Rivian’s inclusive work culture makes it a preferred place to work for software engineers.
Rivian is an automaker of electric vehicles. Rivian, headquartered in California and headed by CEO R.J. Scaringe was founded in 2009 and has over 10,000 employees. The median pay for software engineers at Rivian is about $133,002.
23. Box
Box was founded by Aaron Levie, Dylan Smith, Sam Ghods, and Jeff Queisserin in 2005 to transform how companies work. Box is a cloud content manager and is a leading platform for content collaboration and its enterprise software solutions service small to large scale businesses.
Box operates in multiple locations across Europe, North America, and Asia under the stewardship of its CEO Aaron Levie. Box has been recognized as one of the best places to work for equality. Software engineers at Box earn rewarding salaries going as high as $251,000. The company also offers great perks and benefits.
24. Five9
Five9 revolutionized the cloud software solutions for enterprise contact centers. Five9 facilitates billions of customer interactions and smooth transitioning from on-prem to cloud systems. The company earns an annual revenue in the range of $100 - $500 million.
Five9 was founded in 2001 and built its presence in Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Five9’s CEO is Rowan Trollope. Software engineers at Five9 earn high salaries in the range of $91,643 - $1,79,088, depending on their experience. Five9 was recognized as the highest-rated public cloud company to work for by Battery in 2021.
25. Twilio
Twilio is a leading platform for customer engagement. Twilio leverages APIs to democratize communication channels — text, voice, chat, email, video, etc. so companies can personalize customer experiences to develop meaningful relationships. Major tech companies like Dell, Lyft, Airbnb, and many more use Twilio's tools.
Software engineers at Twilio earn top salaries in the range of $100,828 - $186,885 plus benefits and bonuses, making it one of the best places to work for software engineers. Twilio was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco; according to Statista, it had a revenue of $2.54 billion in 2021. Twilio’s work culture centers around diversity, equality, and inclusion.
Top Cities for Software Engineering Jobs
As a software engineer, it is essential to have a job that compensates you enough to cover your lifestyle and living expenses while also allowing you to save. Considering some of these factors, the following is a list of top cities for software engineering jobs.
1. San Francisco (Silicon Valley), United States
San Francisco, also known as Silicon Valley, is famous for housing top companies globally. It is one of the best cities for software engineers and can help take your career forward with lucrative salaries. Coupled with a high standard of living, San Francisco is a great city for experienced developers.
An average salary of nearly $148,247 drives software engineers to apply for jobs in Silicon Valley, with an average living cost of around $1,255 + rent for a single person monthly.
2. Oslo, Norway
Oslo houses several top companies like Altoros Lab, Aalpha Information Systems, and the likes, which offer hefty salary packages and a host of benefits. It provides a healthy work-life balance, and a growing number of tech companies are opening their offices in the country.
The number of jobs available is also estimated to increase in the future. The average living cost ranges between $1,200 and $1,700, while the median salary ranges between $51,000 - $93,000 annually, depending on the role and experience.
3. Tel Aviv, Israel
Several big tech companies such as Intel, Cisco, Google, IBM, and Microsoft have offices in Tel Aviv. Software engineers earn around $73,475 in the city as per their experience and skillset. Simultaneously, the average cost of living varies between $1,000 - $1500 for a single person in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Also referred to as Silicon Wadi, Tel Aviv was the center of the dot-com revolution in Israel.
4. Berlin, Germany
Germany is the birthplace of several modern technologies and scientific advancements. Some of the biggest tech giants operate in the city, making it one of the best places to work for software engineers. A healthy work-life balance and lower costs of living are conducive factors that have made Berlin a preferred place to work.
A single person will need around $1000 - $1,1200 for monthly expenses in Berlin while earning around an average of $79,000- $151,000, depending on the organization and experience.
5. London, United Kingdom
London is the epicenter of the tech industry in the United Kingdom. Companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Accenture, Kin + Carta Create, Amazon, and the likes are all available in London, making it a highly sought-after place to work for software engineers. The average salary varies between $291,000 - $231,000 annually.
The average cost of living in London is relatively high, ranging between $1,800 to $2,500 for a single person. If one lives on the outskirts of the city, it can come down to $1,300 monthly.
6. Sydney, Australia
Sydney is home to tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Dolby, and the likes. It makes Sydney one of the best places to work for software engineers, with a relatively lower living cost, ranging between $1,100 and going up to $2,000 per month for a single person.
Software engineers in Sydney earn around $180,000 on an average, which goes up to $275,000, depending on skillset and job roles. With a growing number of startups in the city, it is beneficial to work for software engineers with a work-life balance and tech culture, stimulating personal growth.
7. Seattle, America
As per Glassdoor, there is a rise of 6.7% in demand for software engineers in Seattle. This number is rising with an increase in offices and start-ups in the city. Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, Facebook, Zillow, and many more make it one of the world's best places to work for software engineers.
With lucrative salary packages ranging between $160,000 and $425,000, the onus is on you regarding the skills and attributes you can bring to the table. The average cost of living in Seattle costs between $2,000 and $4,000, depending on the location of your stay and lifestyle.
8. Toronto, Canada
Canada is one of North America’s fastest-growing tech markets. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment has projected a 21% growth in software development positions for the current period to 2028. Top companies like IBM, Amazon, AMD, Zynga, AutoDesk, Coinbase, and many others have their presence in and are some of the best places to work for software engineers in Toronto, Canada.
While the average cost of living per month in Toronto for a single person is approximately $800 + rent, software engineers in Toronto, Canada, earn attractive salaries ranging from $87,000 - $210,000 at different levels for various software development roles.
9. Melbourne, Australia
In the other hemisphere, Melbourne, Australia, has become a top city for software engineers and developers. Top IT companies in Melbourne for software development jobs include Seers IT Solutions, Xero, Zendesk, VMware, Oracle, and many more.
The typical base salary for a software engineer in Melbourne, Australia, is approximately $90,000 and can go as high as $140k + perks and benefits, making Melbourne an attractive destination for software developers. The average monthly living cost in Melbourne is around $1,000 + rent, depending on where and how you live.
10. Bangalore, India
Dubbed the Silicon Valley of India, software engineers in Bangalore typically make about $28,000 - $100,000, with these figures running much higher for more specialized software development fields. Most major tech companies in the world, including FAANG and Microsoft, have their offices in Bangalore. Additionally, Bangalore hosts a thriving startup ecosystem with several companies working in advanced technologies. It costs about $400+ rent per month for a single person to live in Bangalore.
11. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam has a booming tech industry and is also considered one of the top places to live in the world, making it one of the best places to work for software engineers. The cost of living for a single person per month is a little over $1000 on average + rent. Software professionals currently enjoy high demand in Amsterdam, and software engineer salaries can range between $80,000 to as high as a lucrative $195,000.
Some of the top IT companies that operate in Amsterdam, offering great opportunities to software engineers, are Uber, TomTom, Amazon, BackBase, Google, Databricks, ServiceNow, and Reaktor, to name a few.
What Makes a Company the Best Place to Work?
An organization, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who live and work in it. — Dee Hock
It is a no-brainer that the compensation and benefits, leadership, workplace environment, inclusivity, health care benefits, and appraisal policies are crucial in making a company a great place to work. In addition to these, the following are some critical factors that make a company a great place to work:
- Equal opportunity: It is essential for the entire workforce to feel that every member has equal chances of progress, contingent on meeting performance parameters. Companies providing fair benefits score nearly 40% more than the national average on employee ratings. Employees are 20% more likely to say that they are proud of their workplace if they get fair recognition for their work.
- Trust: It is instrumental that a company shows its trust through its policies and actions. Like at Netflix, you can take unlimited sick leaves – a sign that the organization trusts its employees not to misuse the benefit. Workplace flexibility is also a significant factor that can help gain trust on either side.
- Communication: A workplace environment where communication channels are robust is highly likely to drive superior results. Having effective mediums where employees can share their feedback on policies and other areas improves employee engagement and interest, driving up productivity in the process.
- Community: An organizational culture of sticking by workers in turbulent times and celebrating during better times is the mark of a great place to work. Sharing profits, celebrating significant events or successes, and downsizing as only the last resort are some aspects that FAANG companies are famed for.
- Encouraging innovation: It is proven that employees thrive when their leaders create an environment where innovation is welcome. Encouraging and accepting management is 31 times more likely to be deemed by employees as innovative and supportive for personal growth.
- Transparency: The last thing an experienced employee wants is to be in the dark about the future, the obstacles they might face in the future, and the like. Transparent management will share the operational, financial, or other issues plaguing the company, along with the scope for suggestions. Accessibility and approachability are also signs which tell if it is one of the best places to work for software engineers or other professions.
How to Choose the Best Company to Work at as a Software Engineer
Some of the best companies for software engineers have more than just the above qualities. If you’ve landed multiple offers, here’s how you should go about choosing the best company to work for:
- Research: Researching the company is the preliminary step. Go through recent events and achievements by the company, and specifically dig up employee reviews and feedback.
- Compare: Comparing the compensation and benefits of multiple companies is also essential before making the final call. Ensuring they suit your needs and meet the necessary checklist for career advancement is a priority as well.
- Enquire: Enquiring about the company beforehand is another way to gather information about the work culture and environment. Multiple websites have reviews of various workplaces, like Glassdoor, Hired, etc. Asking acquaintances is also another way to retrieve information about a company.
As per a PayScale survey, software engineers' job satisfaction has a rating of 3.97 out of 5 in the US. With an average salary package between $100,000 - $250,000 for experienced developers, Google, Facebook, Adobe, etc., are all on the list of best places to work for software engineers.
With the advent of rapid technological advancements, companies are looking for software engineers who can make a difference. The median annual wage for software engineers is $117,000 as per the Labor Bureau Statistics, making it one of the country's most highly-paying jobs.
The employment rate of software engineers and developers is projected to grow by 22% between 2019 and 2029, which is higher than most other occupations in the country. FAANG companies cumulatively hire nearly 1,000,000 employees annually worldwide, rightfully making it a few of the best places for software engineers.
Believe you can, and you’re halfway already there. – Theodore Roosevelt
FAQs on Best Companies to Work for as a Software Engineer
Q1. Which software engineers get paid the most?
In the US, AR/VR software engineers usually receive the most lucrative average annual compensation and several other perks. After that, cybersecurity engineers and big data engineers get paid the most.
Q2. Which coding job makes the most money?
The most highly paid programming and coding jobs include:
- Business system analyst
- Mobile app developer
- Applications architect
- ERP tech developer
- Lead applications developer, etc.
Q3. Why are software engineers paid high salaries compared to other professions?
Owing to the immense demand for skilled software engineers and developers and a shortage of talent, companies offer competitive salaries in a bid to attract top talent for a tight labor market.
Q4. What are the top cities in the United States (US) to work for software engineers?
Some of the best places to work for software engineers, in no particular order, in the United States are:
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- New York, NY
- Seattle, WA
- Austin, TX
- Boston, MA
- Atlanta, GA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Portland, OR
- Denver, CO
Q5. Which company is best for a software engineering job?
The best companies for software engineers are Apple, Microsoft and Uber. There are several other companies that rank as the best companies which offer several benefits and top-notch technologies to the software engineers.
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