Salary benchmarks, updated 28 September 2026
Tech salaries in London, New York and San Francisco, 2026
In short: as of 28 September 2026, the median base salary for a senior software engineer is $200,000 in San Francisco, $177,000 in New York and £85,000 in London, across the independent sources named on this page. Machine learning engineers sit at $210,000, $201,000 and £79,000. Every figure shows the sources behind it and how many adverts, filings or reports each one covers. This is market analysis from published sources, and it will not always match what we see on the ground when our clients hire.
Key findingsFour things worth knowing
- San Francisco pays the most. The Levels.fyi End of Year Pay Report 2025 puts the median software engineer package in the Bay Area at $278,000, against $193,000 in New York.
- The AI premium is real but moderate. Levels.fyi data shows AI engineers earning 6% to 19% more than comparable engineers, rising with seniority.
- Sources disagree, so we show the spread. Adverts, self-reported pay and US government filings measure different things. Each range runs from the lowest to the highest source, so you can see how wide the market really is.
- London trades salary for equity efficiency. The UK's EMI share option scheme, expanded by the government in April 2026, lets eligible start-ups and scale-ups grant equity with no income tax on exercise when options are granted at market value.
The benchmarksWhat tech roles pay, city by city
Choose a city. Each table shows that city only, in its own currency. For every role you get the base salary range across our sources, the median, total pay where it is published, what our fee would cost you each month through Pay While They Stay, and the sources behind the numbers.
Figures as of . Restated every quarter. Next update 1 January 2027.
Market based, and shaped around your budget. The salaries and day rates on this page are market data from the independent sources named below. They are not our rates or fees: we work to your budget and give you options across a range, so you decide what value looks like.
Scope: San Francisco and the wider Bay Area, New York City and London. All figures are annual. Base salary excludes bonus, commission and equity. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
Market analysis, not the whole story
These tables show what published sources say. They are not necessarily in line with what we see on the ground, where our view comes from the real hires we make in London, New York and San Francisco. Published data is thinnest for leadership and specialist roles, so those figures often sit below what funded scale-ups actually pay. Where a role shows no figure, it reflects a lack of published sources, not a lack of hiring.
AI and machine learning, London
AI and machine learning engineers earn more than their peers, though the gap is smaller than headlines suggest. Levels.fyi reports a US premium of about 14% at senior level and 19% at staff level, and Ravio puts it at 12% for individual contributors in Europe.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI / ML engineer (all levels) | £62,000 to £96,000 | £79,000 | £90,000 to £170,000ML engineers, all levels, 94 reports | £1,030 to £1,600 a month | IT Jobs Watch (242), Adzuna (29), Levels.fyi (94), Glassdoor, Indeed (412) |
| Senior AI / ML engineer 2 sources | £85,000 to £92,000 | £89,000 | £90,000 to £170,000ML engineers, all levels, 94 reports | £1,420 to £1,530 a month | Adzuna (15), Glassdoor |
Software and platform engineering, London
Still the largest hiring category. CompTIA data reported by CIO in July 2026 showed software developer and engineer roles topping US tech job postings, with most of the recent growth at senior level.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineer | £74,000 to £112,000 | £85,000 | £100,000 to £182,0001,879 reports | £1,230 to £1,870 a month | Levels.fyi (1,879), IT Jobs Watch (321), Adzuna (31), Glassdoor, Indeed (1,500), PayScale (392) |
| Senior platform / DevOps engineer | £78,000 to £102,000 | £83,000 | £93,000 to £151,000site reliability engineers, all levels, 52 reports | £1,300 to £1,700 a month | IT Jobs Watch (37), Adzuna (21), Levels.fyi (52), Glassdoor, Indeed (172) |
Product and program management, London
Product managers are paid close to engineers at the same level: Ravio's 2025 data puts UK senior product managers at £109,100 against £110,200 for senior software engineers.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior product manager | £80,000 to £109,000 | £86,000 | £100,000 to £169,000267 reports | £1,330 to £1,820 a month | Levels.fyi (267), IT Jobs Watch (23), Glassdoor, Indeed (465) |
| Technical program manager | £78,000 to £100,000 | £83,000 | £92,000 to £167,00073 reports | £1,300 to £1,670 a month | Levels.fyi (73), Adzuna (20), Glassdoor, Indeed (31) |
SaaS sales, London
SDR pay has barely moved: The Bridge Group's 2025 research puts median US SDR on-target earnings at $80,000, unchanged since 2022, with only 60% of reps hitting quota. Our fee is on base salary only, never on commission.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total pay or OTE | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account executive | £75,000 to £87,000 | £76,000 | £81,000 to £168,000total pay, Levels.fyi, 35 reports | £1,250 to £1,450 a month | Levels.fyi (35), IT Jobs Watch (209), Glassdoor, RepVue (UK-wide) |
| Sales development rep (SDR) | £32,000 to £40,000 | £36,000 | Not enough data | £530 to £670 a month | Adzuna (38), IT Jobs Watch (144), Glassdoor, RepVue (UK-wide) |
Customer success, London
Retention now drives SaaS growth. High Alpha's 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report found that companies above $50 million in annual recurring revenue win around 60% of new revenue from existing customers, which puts customer success leaders at the centre of the growth plan.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head / director of customer success | Not enough published data | Ask us | Not enough data | Ask us for our view | Fewer than two published sources |
Executive and technical leadership, London
Leadership pay is the most thinly reported and varies most with company stage, funding and equity. Published figures lean on adverts and self-reports from smaller companies, so they often sit below what we see when funded scale-ups hire. Treat these rows as market analysis, and talk to us for a view based on the leadership hires we make.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Average total cash | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief technology officer (CTO) | £90,000 to £111,000 | £100,000 | Not enough data | £1,250 to £1,540 a month, after a third at engagement | IT Jobs Watch (23), Adzuna (17), Glassdoor, Indeed (81) |
| Chief product officer (CPO) | Not enough published data | Ask us | Not enough data | Ask us for our view | Fewer than two published sources |
| Chief revenue officer (CRO) | Not enough published data | Ask us | Not enough data | Ask us for our view | Fewer than two published sources |
Executive search is 25% of base salary: one third at engagement, then the balance over 12 months through Pay While They Stay.
Robotics, London
Industrial automation is growing fast: the International Federation of Robotics reported a record 5 million factory robots in operation in 2025, with US installations up 12%.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Compared with senior software engineers | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robotics engineer 2 sources | £49,000 to £55,000 | £52,000 | 39% belowmedian base, our figures | £820 to £920 a month | Adzuna (47), Glassdoor |
AI and machine learning, New York
AI and machine learning engineers earn more than their peers, though the gap is smaller than headlines suggest. Levels.fyi reports a US premium of about 14% at senior level and 19% at staff level, and Ravio puts it at 12% for individual contributors in Europe.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI / ML engineer (all levels) | $141,000 to $213,000 | $201,000 | $200,000 to $375,000ML engineers, all levels, 168 reports | $2,350 to $3,550 a month | Adzuna (71), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (74), Levels.fyi (168), Glassdoor (790), Indeed (476), Dice (44) |
| Senior AI / ML engineer | $172,000 to $230,000 | $215,000 | $200,000 to $375,000ML engineers, all levels, 168 reports | $2,870 to $3,830 a month | Adzuna (28), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (21), Glassdoor (201), Dice (27) |
Software and platform engineering, New York
Still the largest hiring category. CompTIA data reported by CIO in July 2026 showed software developer and engineer roles topping US tech job postings, with most of the recent growth at senior level.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineer | $147,000 to $200,000 | $177,000 | $180,000 to $360,0003,332 reports | $2,450 to $3,330 a month | Levels.fyi (3,332), Adzuna (115), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (437), Glassdoor, Indeed (1,900), PayScale (171), Dice (54) |
| Senior platform / DevOps engineer | $153,000 to $201,000 | $165,000 | $170,000 to $262,000site reliability engineers, all levels, 55 reports | $2,550 to $3,350 a month | Adzuna (77), Built In, Levels.fyi (55), Glassdoor, Indeed (102) |
Product and program management, New York
Product managers are paid close to engineers at the same level: Ravio's 2025 data puts UK senior product managers at £109,100 against £110,200 for senior software engineers.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior product manager | $160,000 to $200,000 | $175,000 | $200,000 to $336,000693 reports | $2,670 to $3,330 a month | Levels.fyi (693), Adzuna (21), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (57), Glassdoor, Indeed (796), Dice (19) |
| Technical program manager | $144,000 to $203,000 | $177,000 | $170,000 to $314,000158 reports | $2,400 to $3,380 a month | Levels.fyi (158), Adzuna (64), US Department of Labor H-1B filings (21), Glassdoor, Indeed (191) |
SaaS sales, New York
SDR pay has barely moved: The Bridge Group's 2025 research puts median US SDR on-target earnings at $80,000, unchanged since 2022, with only 60% of reps hitting quota. Our fee is on base salary only, never on commission.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total pay or OTE | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account executive | $93,000 to $150,000 | $117,000 | $190,000 to $340,000total pay, Levels.fyi, 77 reports | $1,550 to $2,500 a month | Levels.fyi (77), Built In, RepVue, Glassdoor (1,500) |
| Sales development rep (SDR) | $55,000 to $66,000 | $58,000 | $80,000 median OTE, US-wide (The Bridge Group) | $920 to $1,100 a month | Built In, The Bridge Group (351, US-wide), Glassdoor (1,100), RepVue (US-wide) |
Customer success, New York
Retention now drives SaaS growth. High Alpha's 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report found that companies above $50 million in annual recurring revenue win around 60% of new revenue from existing customers, which puts customer success leaders at the centre of the growth plan.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director of customer success | $140,000 to $180,000 | $158,000 | $105,000 to $206,000all customer success roles, 64 reports | $2,330 to $3,000 a month | Adzuna (27), Built In, Glassdoor, Indeed (124) |
| VP of customer success | Not enough published data | Ask us | Not enough data | Ask us for our view | Fewer than two published sources |
Executive and technical leadership, New York
Leadership pay is the most thinly reported and varies most with company stage, funding and equity. Published figures lean on adverts and self-reports from smaller companies, so they often sit below what we see when funded scale-ups hire. Treat these rows as market analysis, and talk to us for a view based on the leadership hires we make.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Average total cash | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief technology officer (CTO) | $187,000 to $246,000 | $218,000 | $292,000Built In average | $2,600 to $3,420 a month, after a third at engagement | Adzuna (46), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (26), Glassdoor, Indeed (95) |
| Chief product officer (CPO) | $190,000 to $235,000 | $225,000 | $294,000Built In average | $2,640 to $3,260 a month, after a third at engagement | Adzuna (32), Built In, Glassdoor |
| Chief revenue officer (CRO) | $188,000 to $265,000 | $241,000 | $427,000Built In average | $2,610 to $3,680 a month, after a third at engagement | Adzuna (17), Built In, Glassdoor |
Executive search is 25% of base salary: one third at engagement, then the balance over 12 months through Pay While They Stay.
Robotics, New York
Industrial automation is growing fast: the International Federation of Robotics reported a record 5 million factory robots in operation in 2025, with US installations up 12%.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Compared with senior software engineers | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robotics engineer 2 sources | $117,000 to $185,000 | $151,000 | 15% belowmedian base, our figures | $1,950 to $3,080 a month | Adzuna (46), Glassdoor |
AI and machine learning, San Francisco
AI and machine learning engineers earn more than their peers, though the gap is smaller than headlines suggest. Levels.fyi reports a US premium of about 14% at senior level and 19% at staff level, and Ravio puts it at 12% for individual contributors in Europe.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI / ML engineer (all levels) | $165,000 to $248,000 | $210,000 | $250,000 to $420,000ML engineers, all levels, 545 reports | $2,750 to $4,130 a month | Adzuna (127), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (58), Levels.fyi (545), Glassdoor, Indeed (572), Dice (56) |
| Senior AI / ML engineer | $190,000 to $265,000 | $220,000 | $250,000 to $420,000ML engineers, all levels, 545 reports | $3,170 to $4,420 a month | Adzuna (31), US Department of Labor H-1B filings (32), Glassdoor, Dice (38) |
Software and platform engineering, San Francisco
Still the largest hiring category. CompTIA data reported by CIO in July 2026 showed software developer and engineer roles topping US tech job postings, with most of the recent growth at senior level.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineer | $166,000 to $225,000 | $200,000 | $260,000 to $470,0006,404 reports | $2,770 to $3,750 a month | Levels.fyi (6,404), Adzuna (160), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (355), Glassdoor, Indeed (1,800), PayScale (115), Dice (95) |
| Senior platform / DevOps engineer | $166,000 to $220,000 | $185,000 | $220,000 to $327,000site reliability engineers, all levels, 86 reports | $2,770 to $3,670 a month | Adzuna (121), Built In, Levels.fyi (86), Glassdoor, Indeed (41) |
Product and program management, San Francisco
Product managers are paid close to engineers at the same level: Ravio's 2025 data puts UK senior product managers at £109,100 against £110,200 for senior software engineers.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior product manager | $175,000 to $231,000 | $193,000 | $260,000 to $482,0001,071 reports | $2,920 to $3,850 a month | Levels.fyi (1,071), Adzuna (22), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (62), Glassdoor (4,200), Indeed (553) |
| Technical program manager | $160,000 to $218,000 | $197,000 | $224,000 to $390,000461 reports | $2,670 to $3,630 a month | Levels.fyi (459), Adzuna (175), US Department of Labor H-1B filings (16), Glassdoor, Indeed (259) |
SaaS sales, San Francisco
SDR pay has barely moved: The Bridge Group's 2025 research puts median US SDR on-target earnings at $80,000, unchanged since 2022, with only 60% of reps hitting quota. Our fee is on base salary only, never on commission.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total pay or OTE | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account executive | $130,000 to $148,000 | $134,000 | $160,000 to $315,000total pay, Levels.fyi, 43 reports | $2,170 to $2,470 a month | Levels.fyi (43), Built In, RepVue (US-wide), Glassdoor |
| Sales development rep (SDR) | $55,000 to $70,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 median OTE, US-wide (The Bridge Group) | $920 to $1,170 a month | Built In, The Bridge Group (351, US-wide), Glassdoor, RepVue (US-wide) |
Customer success, San Francisco
Retention now drives SaaS growth. High Alpha's 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report found that companies above $50 million in annual recurring revenue win around 60% of new revenue from existing customers, which puts customer success leaders at the centre of the growth plan.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Total comp, 25th to 75th percentile | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director of customer success | $160,000 to $173,000 | $160,000 | $130,000 to $260,000all customer success roles, 33 reports | $2,670 to $2,880 a month | Built In, Glassdoor, Indeed (34) |
Executive and technical leadership, San Francisco
Leadership pay is the most thinly reported and varies most with company stage, funding and equity. Published figures lean on adverts and self-reports from smaller companies, so they often sit below what we see when funded scale-ups hire. Treat these rows as market analysis, and talk to us for a view based on the leadership hires we make.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Average total cash | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief technology officer (CTO) | $174,000 to $267,000 | $234,000 | Not enough data | $2,420 to $3,710 a month, after a third at engagement | Adzuna (19), Built In, US Department of Labor H-1B filings (42), Glassdoor, Indeed (37) |
| Chief product officer (CPO) | $218,000 to $284,000 | $255,000 | $389,000Built In average | $3,030 to $3,940 a month, after a third at engagement | Adzuna (20), Built In, Glassdoor |
| Chief revenue officer (CRO) 2 sources | $250,000 to $285,000 | $268,000 | $442,000Built In average | $3,470 to $3,960 a month, after a third at engagement | Built In, Glassdoor |
Executive search is 25% of base salary: one third at engagement, then the balance over 12 months through Pay While They Stay.
Robotics, San Francisco
Industrial automation is growing fast: the International Federation of Robotics reported a record 5 million factory robots in operation in 2025, with US installations up 12%.
| Role | Base salary range | Median base | Compared with senior software engineers | Our fee, paid monthly | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robotics engineer | $142,000 to $190,000 | $176,000 | 12% belowmedian base, our figures | $2,370 to $3,170 a month | Adzuna (131), Built In, Glassdoor (165), Indeed (80) |
Fees for UK-based clients are plus VAT. Clients based in the US are not charged UK VAT on our fees.
Download the full dataset (CSV), with every source figure and sample size behind the tables.
How we work out "Our fee, paid monthly"
Our permanent fee is 20% of first-year base salary, paid in 12 monthly instalments from your hire's start date. Because the salaries shown are ranges, the fee is a range too: we take 20% of the low and the high end of the base range, divide each by 12 and round to the nearest 10. Your actual fee is set by the base salary you agree with your hire. Executive search (CTO, VP and C-suite) is 25% of base salary: one third at engagement and the balance monthly over 12 months. Bonus, commission, OTE, equity and benefits are never included. If your hire leaves, the month you let us know is your last payment.
Official statisticsWhat government data says
Government statistics cover every employer and every seniority level in an occupation, so they are not directly comparable with the role benchmarks above, which focus on the jobs we recruit. They are the most complete picture of each occupation across the whole market. US figures are base wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. London figures are gross annual pay for full-time employees from the Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), which includes bonus and does not publish percentiles for these occupations.
San Francisco
| Occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software DevelopersSOC 15-1252, 69,030 employed | $128,000 | $187,000 | $220,000 |
| Computer and Information Research ScientistsSOC 15-1221, 1,670 employed | $96,000 | $171,000 | $220,000 |
| Data ScientistsSOC 15-2051, 10,460 employed | $99,000 | $170,000 | $213,000 |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersSOC 11-3021, 23,830 employed | $156,000 | $233,000 | $313,000 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products (includes commission)SOC 41-4011, 3,950 employed | $76,000 | $131,000 | $172,000 |
| Sales ManagersSOC 11-2022, 17,770 employed | $78,000 | $171,000 | $258,000 |
| Chief ExecutivesSOC 11-1011, 5,190 employed | $100,000 | $289,000 | $426,000 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area, annual wages.
New York
| Occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software DevelopersSOC 15-1252, 121,000 employed | $102,000 | $167,000 | $206,000 |
| Computer and Information Research ScientistsSOC 15-1221, 2,100 employed | $95,000 | $171,000 | $253,000 |
| Data ScientistsSOC 15-2051, 23,160 employed | $80,000 | $136,000 | $173,000 |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersSOC 11-3021, 62,430 employed | $140,000 | $215,000 | $286,000 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products (includes commission)SOC 41-4011, 7,800 employed | $73,000 | $134,000 | $174,000 |
| Sales ManagersSOC 11-2022, 44,870 employed | $109,000 | $215,000 | $311,000 |
| Chief ExecutivesSOC 11-1011, 7,180 employed | $165,000 | $301,000 | $462,000 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area, annual wages.
London
| Occupation | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Programmers and software development professionalsSOC 2134 | £75,000 | £80,000 |
| IT business analysts, architects and systems designersSOC 2133 | £75,000 | £84,000 |
| IT project managersSOC 2131 | £69,000 | £76,000 |
| IT managersSOC 2132 | £67,000 | £77,000 |
| Information technology directorsSOC 1137 | £108,000 | £126,000 |
| Sales accounts and business development managersSOC 3556 | £67,000 | £81,000 |
| Marketing, sales and advertising directorsSOC 1132 | £114,000 | £145,000 |
| Chief executives and senior officialsSOC 1111 | £127,000 | £221,000 |
Source: Office for National Statistics, ASHE 2025 (provisional), full-time employees, London workplace, gross annual pay.
Using the numbersRead the range, not just the median
Know which part of the market you compete in
Adverts show what employers are willing to say in public. Self-reported pay on Levels.fyi and Built In leans towards larger, well funded employers. US government filings show contracted base pay at companies sponsoring visas. If you are a Series A or B company competing with big tech for the same people, expect candidates to anchor on the top of the range, and plan equity and progression to close the gap.
Compare like with like
Match on level and scope, not title. Compare base with base and total pay with total pay, and ask how equity is valued and when it vests. A wide range usually means the market is split by company stage, so ask where the business sits before you name a number. We are always happy to talk it through, whether or not you are working with us.
MethodologyHow these benchmarks are put together
36 role and city benchmarks, each built from at least two independent sources and restated every quarter.
Several sources, never one
For each role and city we take the median from every qualifying source. The range runs from the lowest to the highest of those medians, and the median shown is the middle of them. A source counts only if it covers at least 15 adverts, filings or reports, or does not publish a sample size. Every row names its sources and sample sizes.
Different sources measure different things
Adzuna, IT Jobs Watch, Indeed and Dice show salaries employers state in job adverts. Glassdoor, Built In, Levels.fyi, PayScale and RepVue show pay people report for themselves. US Department of Labor H-1B filings show contracted base pay at sponsoring employers. Sales adverts often quote on-target earnings, so adverts are not used for sales base pay. Where a source publishes an average rather than a median we use the average, and for Glassdoor in the US we use the middle of its most likely base range. We tested ZipRecruiter's modelled estimates too, but they ran well below every other source, so we do not use them.
Total pay is shown separately
Base salary is what goes into the contract. Total compensation adds bonus and the yearly value of equity, and comes from Levels.fyi self-reports, which lean towards larger technology employers. We never blend the two. Levels.fyi figures for London are published in US dollars and converted at the site's own rate of 0.752 on the day of collection.
Gaps are shown, not filled
Where fewer than two sources cover a role in a city, we show the gap rather than estimate. A gap reflects a lack of published sources, not a lack of hiring, and we are happy to share our own view. We do not use salary guides published by other recruitment firms, so these figures stay independent. Official government statistics are shown separately below the tables, because they group every seniority level into one occupation. Nothing here is a Hurren & Hope rate card or a quotation, and it is not financial or tax advice.
SourcesWith thanks to our data sources
These benchmarks would not be possible without the organisations that publish salary data openly, and we are grateful to each of them. Figures were collected on 28 September 2026.
- AdzunaEmployer-stated salaries on full-time adverts from the last 180 days, via the licensed Adzuna API.
- IT Jobs WatchLondon permanent adverts quoting a salary, six months to 28 September 2026. Source: IT Jobs Watch, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
- Built InSalaries reported anonymously by employees in San Francisco and New York.
- Levels.fyiSelf-reported base salary and total compensation. Data source: Levels.fyi (https://www.levels.fyi).
- US Department of Labor H-1B filingsBase wages filed on 2025 Labor Condition Applications, via h1bdata.info.
- GlassdoorBase pay reported by employees in all three cities.
- IndeedAverage base pay in job postings on Indeed in each city over the past 36 months.
- DiceSalary ranges on live technology job listings in San Francisco and New York, read on 28 September 2026.
- PayScaleSalary profiles reported by senior software engineers.
- RepVue and The Bridge GroupSales pay: RepVue account executive and SDR base pay, and The Bridge Group's 2025 SDR research.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, for the San Francisco and New York metro areas.
- Office for National StatisticsAnnual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), London, by occupation.
The market commentary also draws on published research from Ravio, CompTIA, High Alpha and the International Federation of Robotics.
Equity decides US offers, and why London can still win
Equity is central, not a bonus
Early-stage companies use options and SAFEs. Public-market pay uses RSUs. Funded startups issue refresh grants around Series B to keep key people aligned to a long-term exit.
EMI makes UK equity tax-efficient
Headline bases are lower, but the EMI scheme is a powerful tax vehicle. Qualifying gains can attract Capital Gains Tax capped at 18% on the first £1m of lifetime gains (as of April 2026), which makes UK equity highly efficient on exit despite lower upfront valuations.
Making the offerHow to build a competitive offer
- 1
Benchmark level, not title
Match on level and scope. Titles are inconsistent across startups.
- 2
Lead with the right number
Lead with total comp in the US, and with base plus EMI equity in the UK.
- 3
Price AI experience
Budget for a premium, but a measured one: Levels.fyi data shows AI engineers earning 6% to 19% more than comparable engineers, rising with seniority.
- 4
Move fast
The strongest candidates are off the market quickly.
Once you have benchmarked the role, we can help you make the hire through permanent, contract or executive search, and you can spread the cost with Pay While They Stay. Contract hiring is UK only; in New York and San Francisco we recruit permanent roles.
Want the number for your role?
A 20 minute call with Mark or Mike. You get a benchmark for your role, level and city, and your monthly cost before you commit to anything.
Tech salary questions
How much does a senior software engineer earn in 2026?
As of 28 September 2026, senior software engineer base salaries run $166,000 to $225,000 in San Francisco (median $200,000), $147,000 to $200,000 in New York (median $177,000) and £74,000 to £112,000 in London (median £85,000), across the sources named on this page. Total compensation is materially higher once equity and bonus are included.
Which city pays technology talent the most?
San Francisco. The Levels.fyi End of Year Pay Report 2025 puts the median software engineer package at $278,000 in the Bay Area, against $250,000 in Seattle and $193,000 in New York. Headline pay in London is lower, but the UK's EMI share option scheme can make equity highly tax-efficient on exit.
How much more do AI and machine learning engineers earn?
Less than headlines suggest. Levels.fyi reports a US premium of 6% at entry level, about 12% at mid level, 14% at senior level and 19% at staff level over comparable non-AI engineers. Ravio puts the premium at 12% for individual contributors in Europe. No reliable survey yet puts a figure on the premium for AI product managers.
Is London equity worth less than US equity?
Not necessarily. UK EMI options can be taxed at a capped 18% Capital Gains Tax rate on the first £1m of lifetime gains (April 2026), which can make UK equity highly efficient on exit despite lower upfront valuations.
Do these figures match what you see when you hire?
Not always. This page is market analysis from published sources. Our own view comes from the hires we make, and for leadership and specialist roles in particular, published figures often sit below what funded scale-ups pay. For a view on your role and your hiring plans, book a 20 minute call with Mark or Mike.
How current are these figures?
The figures were collected from every source on 28 September 2026 and are restated every quarter, on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. The next update is due 1 January 2027.
Where do these salary figures come from?
From named, independent sources: job adverts on Adzuna, IT Jobs Watch, Indeed and Dice; self-reported pay on Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, Built In, PayScale and RepVue; and US Department of Labor H-1B wage filings. Government statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Office for National Statistics are shown alongside for context. Each range runs from the lowest to the highest source median, and every row lists its sources and sample sizes.
What is the difference between base salary and total compensation?
Base salary is the salary written into the employment contract. Total compensation adds bonus and the yearly value of equity, and is largely self-reported, so it leans towards large technology employers. The gap between the two is not a bonus you can simply offer.
What would it cost to hire one of these roles through Hurren & Hope?
Our permanent fee is 20% of first-year base salary, and you can pay it in 12 monthly instalments through Pay While They Stay. A £90,000 hire costs £1,500 a month; a $180,000 hire costs $3,000 a month. If your hire leaves, the month you let us know is your last payment. Fees for UK-based clients are plus VAT; clients based in the US are not charged UK VAT.
Is the fee worked out on OTE or total compensation?
No. It is worked out on base salary only. Bonus, commission, OTE, equity and benefits are never included, which matters most for sales roles where OTE can be close to double the base.
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