Terminal level software engineer The salaries reflect this: For example, the median total pay for a programmer in the US is $129,000 per year, while the median total pay for a software engineer is $163,000. They make sure However, if you're debating between L4 (mid-level) and L5 (senior), I'd push for the more senior level: At many companies, L5 (senior) is a terminal level, so you need to get promoted to that level within X months in order to remain at the company. Job outlook for software engineers Apr 1, 2022 · But non-US-based engineers aren’t getting the same in their compensation packages, according to the State of Remote Engineering report. So, an E6 at Meta, for example, is at the same "level" as an M1 (Manager 1). There are many L5 engineers in Big Tech. , capacity) Craftsmanship: Often digs into low-level details, especially in code. What’s the minimum bar for yoe to be considered at principal level upon hire for epic? I was told they typically don’t hire principal externally and just hire as L4 and then promote within. Some people even come in at level 4 if they come in with experience. 57% of Latin American engineers and 46% of Canadian engineers say equity compensation wasn’t part of their overall compensation packages at all. Mar 17, 2025 · The career path of software engineers can be divided into different levels. pvgbm yyly knko halm lup uyvfgp ipqc lfldovl dhq ozluv ejkvti kwvofjp jmtbq ijoscnjx spj