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Software Engineer Salary and Equity in Santa Monica 2026

How much does a Software Engineer expect to make at Santa Monica-based startups? The average expected salary for Software Engineers in Santa Monica-based startups is 160k per year, with a range from 8k to 215k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Software Engineers in Santa Monica startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

160.1k

Average Salary

4 years

Average years of experience

Hiring data hero image

Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Software Engineer in Santa Monica is $160,100, which is 28.1% higher than the average Santa Monica startup salary of$125,000. Software Engineer salaries in Santa Monica are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.

Top of market

$181,350/yr

Range $100k - $215k

Average

$160,100/yr

Range $37k - $215k

Below Average

$134,950/yr

Range $8k - $189k


Industries

The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Santa Monica can get in Mobile, that is $195,000. This pay is 4.0% higher than the average Software Engineer salary in Santa Monica, which is $187,500. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Mobile (avg $195,000 per year), Mobile Commerce (avg $195,000 per year), iPhone (avg $195,000 per year).

Tech Stack

The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Santa Monica can get with Python, that is $95,000. This pay is 24.0% lower than the average salary in Santa Monica startups, which is $125,000. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
The top-paying Software Engineer skills in Santa Monica of 2026 are:
  • 1. Python

    $95k

  • 2. Javascript

    $95k

  • 3. SQL

    $95k


Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Santa Monica can get with 4-6 years of experience, that is $155,000. This pay is 24.0% higher than the average salary in Santa Monica startups, which is $125,000. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.