Housing
Housing dominates monthly expenses at $2,033, with downtown apartments averaging $1,667 for a one-bedroom. Utilities add $239 for basics and internet runs $73 monthly, making housing roughly 84% of total living costs in this Dallas suburb.
Software Engineer Salary in Plano
Market ranges & how to evaluate your offer
$77k – $515k/yr
Most offers in Plano fall between $152k–$315k depending on seniority, location, and role scope.
Last updated: March 2026Self-reported salaries + labor statisticsPlanoConfidence: High
10th
percentile$102.500
percentile$102.500
Median$145.000
90th
percentile$231.400
percentile$231.400
Local vs National
Plano$145k
National Average$216k
Plano pays 32.9% less than the national typical
Salary data is self-reported and varies by scope, company, and location. Use ranges, not single numbers.
Offer sanity-check
Compare your total comp for Software Engineer — pick seniority, enter an offer, and preview the layout. Percentiles use your selected seniority when market data is available.
Salary Range for Software Engineer
Seniority-level breakdown for this market.
Cost of Living in Plano, TX
Cost of living breakdown for Plano, TX market.
99avg = 100
Estimated monthly costs for this basket are about 99% of our comparable national baseline—day-to-day spending tends to go further here.
Overall COL Index
HOUSING+45%
National avg (100)
FOOD-48%
National avg (100)
TRANSPORT-77%
National avg (100)
LIFESTYLE-67%
National avg (100)
Monthly cost breakdown
How the estimated monthly cost bundle splits across categories for a typical Software Engineer earner.
$2,421.70/ mo
HOUSING
$2,033.32 USD (84.0% of est. monthly costs)
FOOD
$217.28 USD (9.0% of est. monthly costs)
TRANSPORT
$80.00 USD (3.3% of est. monthly costs)
LIFESTYLE
$91.10 USD (3.8% of est. monthly costs)
+45%
Food & dining
Food costs remain reasonable at $217 monthly, with restaurant meals around $15 and grocery staples like milk ($0.92/liter) and eggs ($3.56/dozen) tracking below typical major metro prices. Dining and grocery spending combined represents less than 10% of total monthly expenses.
Transportation
Public transit costs $80 monthly for a regular pass, though many Plano professionals likely rely on cars given the suburban layout and commuting patterns to Dallas-area employment centers.
Lifestyle & leisure
Discretionary spending stays modest at $91 monthly, with gym memberships at $20 and movie tickets at $12. Coffee runs about $4.71 for a cappuccino, keeping entertainment and fitness costs well under other major expense categories.
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Top-Paying Cities for Software Engineer
Location-specific ranges with optional cost-of-living adjustment.
Top Employers in Plano
Median compensation, hiring momentum, and pay mix for Software Engineers in this market.
JPMorgan Chase
+600% YoY Hiring$145k
CashStock
Mostly hires: Senior Associate
Capital One
+600% YoY Hiring$208k
CashStock
Mostly hires: Senior Lead Software Eng
Bank of America
+1000% YoY Hiring$130k
CashStock
Mostly hires: Distinguished Engineer
AT&T
+600% YoY Hiring$167k
CashStock
Mostly hires: L2, Step 6
Boeing
-100% YoY Hiring$95k
CashStock
Mostly hires: L2
Intuit
+100% YoY Hiring$157k
CashStock
Mostly hires: Senior Software Engineer
Remote Pay Bands Explained
Software Engineer remote compensation varies significantly between location-adjusted and national pay bands. Companies like Google and Meta typically adjust salaries based on employee location, with San Francisco rates 20-30% higher than Austin or Denver. Conversely, companies like GitLab and Buffer offer location-agnostic pay, providing equal compensation regardless of where engineers work.
The hybrid work trend has created tiered compensation models for Software Engineers, with many companies offering 90-95% of on-site pay for hybrid roles. When negotiating remote positions, emphasize your ability to deliver results independently and highlight successful remote collaboration experiences. Consider negotiating for equity or professional development budgets to offset any location-based pay reductions.
Moving from expensive metros like San Francisco ($180K average) to lower-cost areas while maintaining remote work can dramatically improve purchasing power. A Software Engineer earning $160K remotely in Nashville has equivalent buying power to someone making $220K in San Francisco, effectively providing a 25-30% lifestyle upgrade through geographic arbitrage.
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Related Roles
How adjacent roles compare in pay and scope.
Product Manager
$132k-$573k
High overlap in product-manager roles
DetailsData Scientist
$120k-$416k
High overlap in data-scientist roles
DetailsProduct Designer
$110k-$390k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsUx Designer
$117k-$400k
High overlap in product-designer roles
DetailsTechnical Program Manager
$140k-$478k
High overlap in technical-program-manager roles
DetailsSolution Architect
$127k-$388k
High overlap in solution-architect roles
DetailsHow to Negotiate Your Offer
Practical steps that move the number without damaging the relationship.
Start your ask above the median. You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down.
Stronger approach:
- Start your ask above the median
- You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down
Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'. External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations.
Stronger approach:
- Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'
- External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations
When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants. Total comp has more levers than base alone.
Stronger approach:
- When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants
- Total comp has more levers than base alone
Ask for 48 hours to review. This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain.
Stronger approach:
- Ask for 48 hours to review
- This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain
Negotiate Salary
Generate an aware negotiation email using Google market positioning data.
Practice Interviews
Mock interviews tailored to Google's process and evaluation criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Software Engineer compensation.
Software Engineer salaries typically range from $85K-$120K for entry-level, $120K-$180K for mid-level, and $180K-$300K+ for senior positions. Total compensation including equity and bonuses can be 30-50% higher at top tech companies.
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