Engineering
Backend Engineer Salary Guide 2026
Builds APIs, services, databases, and infrastructure that power applications at scale. Compare salaries across 40+ cities worldwide — with breakdowns by experience level, top-paying skills, and what the best-paid Backend Engineers actually negotiate for.
United States(19 cities)
San Francisco
Median: $172,660
New York
Median: $162,960
Seattle
Median: $166,840
Boston
Median: $153,260
Los Angeles
Median: $147,440
Washington DC
Median: $145,500
Chicago
Median: $135,800
Austin
Median: $126,100
Denver
Median: $123,190
Atlanta
Median: $118,340
Miami
Median: $114,460
Dallas
Median: $117,370
Portland
Median: $118,340
Raleigh
Median: $113,490
Nashville
Median: $110,580
Minneapolis
Median: $116,400
San Diego
Median: $128,040
Houston
Median: $116,400
Phoenix
Median: $112,520
United Kingdom(5 cities)
Germany(1 cities)
Netherlands(1 cities)
France(1 cities)
Ireland(1 cities)
Sweden(1 cities)
Switzerland(1 cities)
Canada(3 cities)
Australia(2 cities)
India(4 cities)
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