2026 Tech & Career Salary Report
Median compensation for 21 roles across 20 US states. Data sourced from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, and Levels.fyi. All figures represent base salary; total compensation including equity and bonuses is often 20–50% higher.
2026 Key Findings
$168,000
Median Software Engineer Salary (CA)
Up ~4% from 2025, driven by continued AI-related hiring
$172,000
Highest Median Tech Salary
Machine Learning Engineers — demand driven by AI infrastructure buildout
22%
CA vs TX Salary Premium
California software engineers earn 22% more than Texas counterparts on average
$0
State Income Tax
Texas, Washington, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada — 5 of top 10 tech markets have no state income tax
Tech Role Salaries by State (2026)
Base salary medians by role and state. Click any role for a full breakdown.
CA = California, NY = New York, WA = Washington, MA = Massachusetts, TX = Texas, CO = Colorado
Highest-Paying Cities for Tech Workers (2026)
San Francisco, CA
Software Engineer · Highest median in the US; 22% premium over CA statewide
$204,000/yr
San Jose, CA
Software Engineer · Silicon Valley hub; Apple and Cisco headquarters
$198,000/yr
Seattle, WA
Software Engineer · Amazon and Microsoft campus city; no state income tax
$193,000/yr
New York City, NY
Software Engineer · Finance + tech crossover drives premium
$190,000/yr
Boston, MA
Software Engineer · Biotech and SaaS hub; strong research ecosystem
$178,000/yr
Austin, TX
Software Engineer · Fastest growing; no state tax offsets lower base
$148,000/yr
Full Role Salary Index (2026)
Median base salaries for all 21 tracked roles in California.
| Role | Category | Entry | Median (CA) | Senior | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Manager | tech | $148,000 | $198,000 | $295,000 | View → |
| Product Manager | business | $118,000 | $175,000 | $260,000 | View → |
| Machine Learning Engineer | tech | $120,000 | $172,000 | $248,000 | View → |
| Software Engineer | tech | $115,000 | $168,000 | $240,000 | View → |
| Data Scientist | tech | $110,000 | $162,000 | $235,000 | View → |
| Cloud Engineer | tech | $112,000 | $162,000 | $235,000 | View → |
| Data Engineer | tech | $108,000 | $158,000 | $230,000 | View → |
| DevOps Engineer | tech | $108,000 | $158,000 | $228,000 | View → |
| Backend Developer | tech | $105,000 | $155,000 | $228,000 | View → |
| Full Stack Developer | tech | $100,000 | $152,000 | $222,000 | View → |
| Frontend Developer | tech | $98,000 | $148,000 | $215,000 | View → |
| Product Designer | creative | $95,000 | $145,000 | $215,000 | View → |
| Physician Assistant | healthcare | $105,000 | $142,000 | $195,000 | View → |
| UX Designer | creative | $92,000 | $138,000 | $205,000 | View → |
| Sales Manager | business | $85,000 | $135,000 | $210,000 | View → |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | tech | $85,000 | $130,000 | $198,000 | View → |
| Marketing Manager | business | $82,000 | $128,000 | $195,000 | View → |
| Registered Nurse | healthcare | $75,000 | $118,000 | $172,000 | View → |
| Financial Analyst | finance | $72,000 | $112,000 | $172,000 | View → |
| Data Analyst | tech | $68,000 | $108,000 | $165,000 | View → |
| Accountant | finance | $62,000 | $98,000 | $155,000 | View → |
Report Methodology
This report aggregates compensation data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), LinkedIn Salary insights, Glassdoor compensation reports, and Levels.fyi for technology roles. All figures represent base salary for full-time employees. Location-based adjustments are calculated using BLS area estimates cross-referenced with LinkedIn and Glassdoor geographic data.
Salary ranges reflect the 25th–75th percentile of reported compensation. Outliers above the 95th percentile are excluded to prevent distortion from equity-heavy FAANG total compensation packages.
Editorial Standards & Data Methodology
Data Sources
Salary ranges on CareerOS are derived from multiple independent sources:
- •U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- •LinkedIn Salary Insights
- •Glassdoor Compensation Reports
- •Levels.fyi (tech roles)
- •Indeed Salary Data
Our Methodology
Salary figures represent base compensation only and exclude equity, bonuses, and benefits. Ranges show the 25th–75th percentile for full-time employees in each location. Data is weighted toward recent postings (last 12 months). Take-home estimates apply federal income tax, FICA (7.65%), and applicable state taxes.
Editorial Process
All pages are reviewed for accuracy before publication and updated quarterly. We cross-reference data across sources before publishing any salary range.
Last Updated: May 2026
Review Cycle: Quarterly
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. Actual compensation varies.