Google Software Engineer Salary |

One of the key reasons why Google attracts top engineering talent is because the average Google software engineer salary offered at various levels of the organization is way higher than at most of its tech counterparts. While the national average software engineer salary in the US is $108,249, the average Google software engineer salary for an entry-level position stands at $136,000 (base pay) plus bonus and equity. 

Not surprising that software engineers around the world aspire to crack the Google tech interview and land a much-coveted Google software engineer salary offer. Negotiating a top-notch offer from Google requires an understanding of how software engineers at Google are compensated at different levels and locations and how Google software engineer salaries compare to other top tech companies.  

If you are preparing for a tech interview, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page, and salary negotiation e-book to get interview-ready!

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In this article, we’ll talk about Google software engineer salaries, employee benefits, and other perks at different seniority levels. We’ll cover:

Average Annual Google Software Engineer Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average annual Google software engineer salary in the US is about $136,000 (base pay) for an entry-level engineer. Considering bonus and equity payouts in addition to the base pay, the total compensation paid to software engineers at this level is about $160,000. Salaries for software engineers can go as high as $313,000 (base pay) for a senior software engineer (L8) position, which along with bonuses and equity, can yield a total compensation of about $941,000. 

The different components of Google Software Engineer salary are:

• Base compensation: The standard salary you earn or the initial rate of compensation you will earn per annum.
• Bonuses: Google offers these benefits to its software engineers annually, which are different for each employee at different levels. 
• Stock: Stock refers to the employee stock options given to the employees by Google. These are mostly performance-based. 
• Total: The total compensation package consists of all components.

Google Software Engineer Levels

Google has a tier-based compensation system. The hierarchy levels at big firms vary based on experience and roles. Hence, it is important to have a system that justifies the compensation at each level — the tier-based system at Google ensures that employees at the same level earn a comparable salary. 

Following is the level-wise classification of Google Software Engineers:

The majority of Google engineers work at the lower levels of the hierarchy. According to former Google engineers, there are few opportunities for growth beyond the Staff Software Engineer level. 

Google Software Engineer Salary by Levels

Below is the average Google software engineer salary (base pay) at different levels as listed on levels.fyi. In addition to base salaries, software engineers are offered bonuses and equity as part of their total compensation.

Source:levels.fyi

Google Software Engineer Salary by Location

The tech behemoth is headquartered in Mountain View, California. The US has 19 Google offices, and most of the research and updates for Google’s products are conducted here. Following are the highest-paying locations for Google software engineers (based on average annual salary across levels listed on Glassdoor):

• California — $150,461
• Detroit, Michigan — $113,097
• Atlanta, Georgia — $120,000
• Austin, Texas — $125,850
• Boulder, Colorado — $135,380

Software Engineer Salary — Google vs. Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Microsoft

Below is a comparison of the average Google software engineer salary with other FAANG companies. 

While this gives us a general idea of typical software engineering salaries at the top tech companies in the United States, note that these average base salary figures are only indicative of how much you can expect to earn. These figures can vary depending on many factors, including the job level and job location, and the engineer’s skill and experience.

Employee Benefits for Software Engineers at Google

Google not only pays great compensation packages to its employees but is also known for the excellent employee benefits it provides. These perks are above and beyond your Google software engineer salary, making working at the company an attractive option. The many employee benefits at Google include:

• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Work from home
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off/Unlimited paid time off
• On-site gym
• Gym membership
• Bonus/Quarterly bonus
• Stock options

Tips to Prepare for Google Software Engineer Tech Interview

Google software engineer interviews are challenging. A good amount of preparation is required to crack the software engineer interview at Google. You can go through the following articles to understand the process and for prep tips:

FAQs on Google Software Engineer Salary

Q1. How much do software engineers make at Google?

The average annual Google software engineer salary in the United States is about $136,000 (base pay) for an entry-level position. 

Q2. How much does a software engineer make at Google at Level 5 (L5)

According to Levels.fyi, the average L5 Google software engineer salary is about $205,000 (base pay).

Q3. How much do Google software engineers make in New York?

According to Glassdoor, the average annual Google software engineer salary in New York is about $142,000.

Q4. How much do Google software engineers make in Seattle?

According to Glassdoor, the average annual Google software engineer salary in Seattle is about $143,000.

Q5.What is the difference between salaries paid to software engineers in the US vs. the UK?

 According to Glassdoor, the average Google software engineer salary US is about $136,000 while the average Google software engineer salary UK (London) is about 70,000 pounds or $92,000.

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