Software Engineer.
Wichita.
$109,000
median salary, 18% below the national average
$84,000 to $139,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Wichita is 18% cheaper than the national average. For Software Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $109,000, with the full range spanning $84,000 to $139,000. Years of experience, specific technology stack expertise, and company stage are the primary drivers. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Engineer in Wichita, 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 $105,980 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Wichita, KS metropolitan area, based on 2,040 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$62,860
25th percentile
$79,890
Median
$105,980
75th percentile
$129,180
90th percentile
$152,500
Workers surveyed
2,040
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 Engineer specifically. The Wichita 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 $98,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$71,000
to $87,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$93,000
to $114,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$120,000
to $142,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$136,000
to $169,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $24,000 to the total package.
Base
$109,000
Equity
$13,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $133,000
Software Engineer salary by company.
Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings (DOL).
How Wichita compares.
Wichita, KS
$109,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$133,000
Wichita is $24,000 below
Software Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Wichita.
What you should know.
The Software Engineer landscape in Wichita is not what most salary sites will tell you. Wichita is the air capital of the world, home to major aerospace manufacturers including Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, and Airbus. The city's engineering talent pool is deep, and the extremely low cost of living means aerospace salaries deliver exceptional purchasing power. Years of experience, specific technology stack expertise, and company stage are the primary drivers. Engineers proficient in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, or high demand languages like Rust and Go command premiums. Working at a FAANG or well funded startup significantly shifts the upper bound of compensation.
Junior engineers typically start at $85,000 to $110,000, with mid level reaching $130,000 to $170,000 after three to five years. Senior engineers earn $170,000 to $250,000+, while staff and principal engineers at top firms can exceed $400,000 in total compensation. Moving into management or architecture opens additional tracks. In Wichita, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 18% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation at top companies often doubles the base through equity grants (RSUs or stock options) and annual bonuses of 10 to 20%. Signing bonuses of $20,000 to $50,000 are common at senior levels. Benefits typically include generous 401(k) matching and wellness stipends. And on the tax side: kansas has a top income tax rate of 5.7%. Wichita has no city income tax. The moderate state rate combined with very low housing costs creates strong net pay. When someone quotes you $109,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight aerospace engineering expertise. Wichita manufacturers pay competitive national rates for specialized aviation and defense engineering talent. The range for Software Engineers in Wichita runs from $84,000 to $139,000. 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?
- A Machine Learning Engineer in Wichita earns $108,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Wichita is CTO at $244,000
Common questions.
Software Engineer salary in other cities.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Software Engineer Salary in Wichita, KS." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/software-engineer/wichita
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