The Top 12 Best-Paying Cities for Software Engineers in Virginia
Virginia boasts the third-largest tech industry workforce in the U.S., according to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, with more than 315,000 people working in tech or tech roles. It is no wonder that software engineers in Virginia can earn attractive pay packages.
The average total compensation for software engineers in Virginia is more than $106,000, according to the professional social network Blind.
In comparison, developers in Washington, D.C., can earn an average of nearly $169,000 in total compensation. The average salary for software engineers in Washington, D.C., is more than $133,000, excluding any stock or cash bonuses.
According to the more than 5 million verified professionals on Blind, these are the top 12 best-paying cities for software engineers in Virginia. Blind analyzed thousands of total compensation packages, including the annual salary and any stock-based compensation or bonuses a company might offer.
1. Dulles, Va.
- Average total compensation: $215,958
- Median total compensation: $188,375
- Average salary: $161,166
- Median base salary: $150,000
Northern Virginia is home to some of the largest companies—so many that Dulles and its Loudoun County are sometimes called “Data Center Alley.”
Dulles is home to the headquarters of Northrop Grumman, but the tech giants Amazon, Comcast, Microsoft and more help make the unincorporated area the No. 1 best-paying city in Virginia.
2. Manassas, Va.
- Average total compensation: $209,283
- Median total compensation: $222,250
- Average salary: $155,033
- Median base salary: $168,000
Just about 30 miles away from Washington, D.C., logistics, military and security companies help boost the average total compensation in Manassas to more than $200,000 a year. The city is home to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Micron Technology and others.
3. Herndon, Va.
- Average total compensation: $177,288
- Median total compensation: $157,000
- Average salary: $132,818
- Median base salary: $137,000
With Amazon, Cisco, Cognizant, IBM and Salesforce in town, there is no surprise why this small Fairfax County town has some high-earning software engineers.
4. Alexandria, Va.
- Average total compensation: $164,318
- Median total compensation: $120,735
- Average salary: $140,630
- Median base salary: $116,000
Alexandria is home to Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, and the headquarters of cybersecurity consultancy Mandiant, which Google will soon acquire.
5. Arlington, Va.
- Average total compensation: $156,087
- Median total compensation: $141,000
- Average salary: $126,994
- Median base salary: $125,500
Arlington has long been a center for jobs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Accenture, Amazon, Bloomberg, Boeing, Capital One and MasterCard are some of the heavyweights in town.
6. Richmond, Va.
- Average total compensation: $150,660
- Median total compensation: $123,000
- Average salary: $130,416
- Median base salary: $110,000
While long a powerhouse for banks and law firms, Richmond, Virginia, has recently grown its tech presence. CarMax, Dell, Square and Verizon are some of the notable high-payers in town.
7. Reston, Va.
- Average total compensation: $145,851
- Median total compensation: $134,500
- Average salary: $113,537
- Median base salary: $110,000
Reston, part of the Dulles Technology Corridor, is host to companies like Amazon, Apple, AT&T, IBM, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, VMware and more.
8. Norfolk, Va.
- Average total compensation: $141,285
- Median total compensation: $80,000
- Average salary: $111,857
- Median base salary: $72,000
Top employers in Norfolk, Virginia, include ADP, Epic, General Electric, Twitter and more.
9. Fairfax, Va.
- Average total compensation: $135,623
- Median total compensation: $124,500
- Average salary: $116,761
- Median base salary: $120,000
Software engineers can easily earn six-figure pay in Fairfax at companies such as Boeing, Capital One, Intel, PayPal, Siemens and others.
10. McLean, Va.
- Average total compensation: $134,238
- Median total compensation: $130,000
- Average salary: $122,914
- Median base salary: $120,000
Close to Washington, D.C., and well known for its high standard of living, McLean is the 10th best-paying city for software engineers and programmers in Virginia.
Programmers could work at BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, Freddie Mac or Hilton, among other leading companies.
11. Tysons, Va.
- Average total compensation: $132,981
- Median total compensation: $121,450
- Average salary: $120,024
- Median base salary: $111,000
Tysons or Tysons Corner is the central business district of northern Virginia. Palantir, Workday and Xerox are some of the more high-profile companies that call the area home.
12. Charlottesville, Va.
- Average total compensation: $106,414
- Median total compensation: $95,600
- Average salary: $96,457
- Median base salary: $91,600
The average total compensation for software engineers in Charlottesville, Virginia, is more than $100,000, just about the average salary for programmers in town.
Companies hiring programmers in Charlottesville include Capital One, Northrop Grumman and S&P Global.
Methodology
Blind analyzed the base salaries and total compensation of software engineers in the United States on its platform. Cities were ranked by the average total compensation, including annual base salary and, if applicable, stock-based compensation and cash bonuses. The list includes only the Virginia cities in the top 200 best-paying cities for software engineers in the United States. All data is self-reported by verified professionals on the professional social network Blind.