Junior Software Engineer

💰 $88K–$120K salary range

Median: $105K  ·  Based on 81 public job postings  ·  Updated July 1, 2026

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An entry-level position within high-growth companies, this role primarily focuses on implementing and maintaining the foundational codebases for AI models, data pipelines, and intelligent applications, often integrating machine learning components into broader software systems. Compensation for Junior Software Engineers ranges from $94K to $141K, with a median of $98K, derived from an analysis of 16 recent job postings. Top compensation within this range is typically awarded to candidates demonstrating proficiency in cutting-edge machine learning frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow, practical experience with MLOps principles for model deployment and monitoring, and solid understanding of cloud platforms such as AWS or GCP for scalable AI infrastructure. This role offers significant growth potential as AI technologies evolve.

📊 Salary breakdown

Junior Software Engineer salary by location

• All locations: $105K median ($88K–$120K typical range)
• San Francisco: $150K median, $110K–$250K range (+43% vs. national)
• New York: $103K median, $94K–$173K range (-2% vs. national)
• Remote: $100K median, $90K–$116K range (-5% vs. national)

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 65% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 44% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 53% of postings
• Parental leave: 21% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 16% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 2% of postings

Typical experience required: 2–3 years.

Engineering salaries by seniority

• Junior Software Engineer: $105K
• Software Engineer: $155K
• Hardware Engineer: $157K
• Embedded Systems Engineer: $165K
• Tech Lead: $170K
• Data Infrastructure Engineer: $170K
• Senior Hardware Engineer: $175K
• Senior Software Engineer: $180K
• Senior Embedded Engineer: $180K
• Engineering Manager: $181K
• Site Reliability Engineer: $188K
• Infrastructure Engineer: $190K
• Senior SRE: $192K
• Senior Infrastructure Engineer: $193K
• Senior Platform Engineer: $196K
• Forward Deployed Engineer: $196K
• Platform Engineer: $200K
• Founding Engineer: $200K
• Founding PM: $203K
• Staff Software Engineer: $225K
• Director of Engineering: $244K

What does a Junior Software Engineer do?

Junior Software Engineers are engineers who design, build, and operate the core software systems. This benchmark reflects Junior-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Common questions

What is the average Junior Software Engineer salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $105K, with a typical range of $88K–$120K, based on 81 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

How does Junior Software Engineer pay compare in San Francisco vs. remote?
San Francisco roles pay a median of $125K, while fully-remote roles pay $100K.

Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.

Methodology

Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 81 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed July 1, 2026.

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