The 15 Highest-Paying Software Engineering Jobs of 2025
The boom years of tech hiring may have cooled, but the paychecks haven’t. Top software roles still draw six-figure salaries, and companies continue to compete for people who can keep their systems reliable, secure, and fast. In 2025, a handful of positions stand out even more, and they offer compensation that reflects both their scarcity and the weight of their responsibilities.
Principal Software Engineer
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This job sits near the top of the engineering food chain, and not by accident. Principal engineers usually carry 10+ years of experience and deep architecture knowledge. This role offers a median salary of $244,500, per Business Insider. They’re the ones who keep systems stable when millions of users pile in at once.
Engineering Manager
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An engineering manager’s job is part leadership, part problem-solving. They hire the right people, map out roadmaps, and keep work aligned with what the company needs. They also bridge the gap between technical detail and big-picture planning. Those who do it well earn strong pay for it, with average salaries around $203,500.
Machine Learning Engineer
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Machine learning engineers rank among the top earners in tech, averaging about $206,000 a year. They design and train models for fraud detection, product recommendations, and autonomous systems. The role demands a mix of statistical expertise and practical experience with tools like Python, TensorFlow, and PyTorch.
Product Manager
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A strong product manager translates business goals into workable plans for engineers. The job requires knowing what’s possible technically, what’s valuable to users, and what deserves priority on the roadmap. In 2025, the position pays about $169,000 on average.
DevOps Engineer
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DevOps engineers automate deployments and manage cloud infrastructure so developers don’t have to. According to Simplilearn, they make $119,350 a year. When sites go down, they fix things while everyone else panics.
Cloud Architect
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Cloud architects design the structure that keeps applications running smoothly across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Their work focuses on scalability, cost control, and security. Every company faces these three issues once it moves online. Pay averages about $121,000, which reflects both the complexity of the role and the demand for people who can build systems that won’t break under pressure.
Data Scientist
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Data scientists analyze large datasets to find patterns, guide business strategy, and improve operations. Their work can range from forecasting revenue to fine-tuning logistics like delivery routes. Salaries average about $119,000, which reflects the demand for professionals who combine statistical knowledge with programming and business insight.
Blockchain Developer
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Blockchain developers create the systems behind smart contracts, secure ledgers, and digital tokens. Their expertise is in demand not only in crypto, but also in finance, supply chain, and healthcare. Salaries average around $146,000, a figure that reflects the niche skill set and the complexity of the work.
AI Engineer
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Not every AI job is about making chatbots. AI engineers work on model optimization and large-scale deployments. Simplilearn says their average salary in 2025 is a whopping $201,609. They’re often the ones helping companies replace five manual tasks with one AI tool—and doing it without breaking stuff in production.
Full Stack Developer
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Think of them as tech generalists with enough front-end and back-end knowledge to be dangerous. One minute it’s a React interface, the next it’s a Node.js API. Simplilearn lists its pay at $114,395. Startups love them, especially when there’s no budget for two separate developers but plenty of work for both.
Back-End Engineer
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The front end gets all the attention, but back-end engineers build the part that actually does the work. They’re deep in APIs, databases, and performance bottlenecks. According to Simplilearn, the salary sits around $133,072. They’re often the reason your app doesn’t fall over when it suddenly has 100,000 new users.
Site Reliability Engineer
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This role lives at the intersection of infrastructure and panic prevention. SREs build tools that help teams deploy safely, and they monitor systems so issues are caught before users complain. Business Insider puts the salary at $147,500. Think ops with a developer’s brain and a higher caffeine tolerance.
Software Developer
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It is still one of the broadest and busiest roles in tech. Developers design, write, and test software across every kind of industry. IT Careers pegs the average 2025 salary at $130,160. The job hasn’t changed much, but the tools definitely have. Bonus points if you can wrangle both legacy code and the latest frameworks.
Computer and Information Research Scientist
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Computer and information research scientists push the boundaries of computing, developing advances that can influence fields such as quantum algorithms, artificial intelligence, and medical imaging. Most roles require a master’s degree or Ph.D., and the payoff is strong: average salaries reach about $145,000.
IT Manager
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Less coding, more strategy. IT managers oversee systems and make the big calls on tech investments and infrastructure decisions. IT Careers lists the 2025 average at $169,510. Many worked their way up from engineering, gaining just enough Excel and diplomacy skills along the way to run the show.