Typically 0-2 years of experience. Expand Details...
New-grads or little to no industry experience. Develop and maintain low to moderately complex components working on a team. Typically receives guidance and support from more experienced team members.
| Rank | Company & Title Name | Headquarters | Title Name | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  T3 | San Francisco, CA | T3 | $234,000 |
| 2 |  L1 | San Francisco, CA | L1 | $223,000 |
| 3 |  L3 | San Francisco, CA | L3 | $207,000 |
| 4 |  Software Engineer | Sunnyvale, CA | Software Engineer | $192,000 |
| 5 |  IC-2 | Redwood City, CA | IC-2 | $175,000 |
Typically 2-5+ years of experience. Expand Details...
Develop and own moderate to complex components. Possibly lead a small team or project. Ability to mentor engineers, provide technical guidance, code reviews, design and deliver on small projects end-to-end. Impact is typically at the immediate team scope. At many companies, this is considered a 'career-level', as in you can spend the rest of your career operating at this level without being pushed out for not being promoted.
| Rank | Company & Title Name | Headquarters | Title Name | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L4 | San Francisco, CA | L4 | $334,000 |
| 2 | Senior Software Engineer | Sunnyvale, CA | Senior Software Engineer | $300,000 |
| 3 | T4 | San Francisco, CA | T4 | $295,000 |
| 4 | L2 | San Francisco, CA | L2 | $291,000 |
| 5 |  L2 / L3 | Santa Monica, CA | L2 / L3 | $287,000 |
Typically 5+ years of experience. Expand Details...
Typically less than 30% of employees in a company are at this level. Expected to lead and own complex technical initiatives. Begin setting the vision and future direction of team. Impact across multiple related teams within an org. Role shifts more towards design rather than implementation depending on size and expectations at company.
| Rank | Company & Title Name | Headquarters | Title Name | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  L5 | San Francisco, CA | L5 | $505,000 |
| 2 | L3 | San Francisco, CA | L3 | $443,000 |
| 3 | L5 | San Francisco, CA | L5 | $434,000 |
| 4 |  Senior Software Engineer | Los Gatos, CA | Senior Software Engineer | $430,000 |
| 5 | Staff Software Engineer | Sunnyvale, CA | Staff Software Engineer | $423,000 |
Typically 10+ years of experience. Expand Details...
This level is much more coveted than the previous ones. Typically less than 10% of employees in a company are at this level. Impact spans across organizations. Entrusted with business-critical projects and for setting technical vision for an org or multiple orgs. Responsible for reviewing and providing feedback on technical designs across an org. Little to no day-to-day coding. Role depends highly on organizational and company needs and becomes loosely defined. Expected to operate fully autonomously.
| Rank | Company & Title Name | Headquarters | Title Name | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L5 | Santa Monica, CA | L5 | $600,000 |
| 2 | T6 | San Francisco, CA | T6 | $550,000 |
| 3 | L6 | San Francisco, CA | L6 | $530,000 |
| 4 |  E6 | Menlo Park, CA | E6 | $520,000 |
| 5 |  Principal SDE | Seattle, WA | Principal SDE | $500,000 |
Typically 15+ years of experience. Usually less than 3% of employees in a company are at this level. Smaller companies may not have any individuals at this level. Impact spans across the company and sometimes industry. Expected to operate fully autonomously.
| Rank | Company & Title Name | Headquarters | Title Name | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E7 | Menlo Park, CA | E7 | $950,000 |
| 2 |  L7 | Mountain View, CA | L7 | $710,000 |
| 3 | L6 | San Francisco, CA | L6 | $575,000 |
| 4 |  IC5 | San Francisco, CA | IC5 | $568,000 |
| 5 |  Architect | San Francisco, CA | Architect | $533,000 |