Software Developer.
Raleigh.
$134,000
median salary, 1% above the national average
$104,000 to $171,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Software Developer offer in Raleigh, NC, here is the reality: $104,000 to $171,000, with $134,000 as the midpoint. 1% above the national average. Compensation for Software Developers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Software Developer in Raleigh, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $132,770 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 12,580 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$80,080
25th percentile
$103,480
Median
$132,770
75th percentile
$166,650
90th percentile
$185,110
Workers surveyed
12,580
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) rather than Software Developer specifically. The Raleigh range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1252Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $121,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$87,000
to $107,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$114,000
to $141,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$147,000
to $174,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$168,000
to $208,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$134,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $168,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$134,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$133,000
Raleigh is $1,000 above
Software Developer salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
The Software Developer landscape in Raleigh is not what most salary sites will tell you. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Compensation for Software Developers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Software Developers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
Software Developers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Software Developers runs roughly $143K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $134,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Software Developers in Raleigh runs from $104,000 to $171,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An AI Engineer in Raleigh earns $133,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is CTO at $291,000
Common questions.
Software Developer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Raleigh.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Software Developer Salary in Raleigh, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/software-developer/raleigh
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