Software Engineer Salary in Arizona
What software engineers earn across Arizona, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $129,690
- Median hourly wage
- $62.35
- Top 10% earn
- $178,500
- Kept after costs
- $63,201
Pay range
Half of Arizona's 38,050 software engineers earn more than $129,690 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $135,980.
Pay over time
In Arizona, software engineer pay rose 26% from 2021 to 2025, or 6% after inflation.
BLS reorganised software jobs between 2019 and 2021 (two developer codes merged, testers split out), so this series starts in 2021.
Yearly figures, 2021 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $102,980 | $122,352 | $120,730 |
| 2022 | $110,380 | $121,426 | $127,260 |
| 2023 | $123,180 | $130,150 | $132,270 |
| 2024 | $128,690 | $132,076 | $133,080 |
| 2025 | $129,690 | $129,690 | $135,980 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a software engineer keeps in Arizona
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $129,690
- Federal income tax
- −$19,860
- Payroll taxes
- −$9,921
- State income tax
- −$3,034
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,332
- Everyday costs
- −$17,342
a year, or $5,267 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of software engineers in Arizona earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $102,310 | $44,782 |
| Typical (median) | $129,690 | $63,201 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $159,680 | $82,950 |
Compare cities in Arizona
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a software engineer keeps in each Arizona city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Glendale | $131,750 | $63,862 |
| Mesa | $131,750 | $63,322 |
| Phoenix | $131,750 | $63,154 |
| Tucson | $123,710 | $62,575 |
| Chandler | $131,750 | $59,686 |
| Scottsdale | $131,750 | $58,258 |
| Gilbert | $131,750 | $57,850 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $131,750
- Federal income tax
- −$20,354
- Payroll taxes
- −$10,079
- State income tax
- −$3,085
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,980
- Everyday costs
- −$17,390
a year, or $5,322 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Software engineer pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Arizona comes 14 of 50. The ten states where a software engineer keeps the most:
- Washington$84,015
- Massachusetts$70,764
- California$69,852
- New York$69,663
- Texas$69,387
- New Hampshire$69,070
- North Carolina$65,926
- Nevada$65,332
- Idaho$65,158
- Tennessee$64,113
- Arizona$63,201
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Software engineer salary by state
Pay and what's kept for software engineers in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in Arizona
The 10 jobs closest to a software engineer in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Veterinarian$14,704 more | $77,905 |
| Pharmacist$11,353 more | $74,554 |
| Physician assistant$3,266 more | $66,467 |
| Nurse practitioner$3,115 more | $66,316 |
| Lawyer$3,010 more | $66,211 |
| Data scientist$15,074 less | $48,127 |
| Occupational therapist$17,503 less | $45,698 |
| Physical therapist$17,801 less | $45,400 |
| Dental hygienist$19,301 less | $43,900 |
| Mechanical engineer$19,803 less | $43,398 |
Moving for a job?
Questions people ask
How much does a software engineer make in Arizona?
The median software engineer salary in Arizona is $129,690 a year ($62.35 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $81,740 and the top 10% earn over $178,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a software engineer take home in Arizona?
On the median salary, a software engineer in Arizona pays about $32,815 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $63,201 a year.
Where in Arizona do software engineers keep the most?
Of the Arizona cities we cover, software engineers keep the most in Glendale: a median salary of $131,750 and a $1,415 1-bedroom leave $63,862 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for software engineers after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Arizona comes 14 of 50. The top states are Washington ($84,015), Massachusetts ($70,764), California ($69,852).
Do software engineers in Arizona earn more than the US average?
No. The Arizona median of $129,690 is $6,290 below the US median of $135,980.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 15-1252. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate