Senior engineer cost in the United States
A senior software engineer in the United States costs about $20,900 a month all-in: a median salary of $18,300 a month, statutory employer costs of about 7.4%, and a recruitment fee spread over three years.
Each monthly cost line and its source
Salary from Ravio, employer costs from Deel's United States guide.
| Cost line | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Median gross salary | $18,300 |
| Social Security | $1,000 |
| Medicare | $300 |
| Federal unemployment | $0 |
| Workers' compensation | $100 |
| Recruitment fee, spread over 36 months | $1,200 |
| All-in cost | $20,900 |
What's in the employer costs
- Social Security: 6.2%, capped at $11,439 a year
- Medicare: 1.45%
- Federal unemployment (FUTA): $42 a year
- Workers' compensation: about 0.75%
- State unemployment insurance varies by state and isn't included
Netherlands€12,200a month, all-in
United Kingdom£7,700a month, all-in
Germany€11,600a month, all-in
Swedenkr 127,700a month, all-in
Belgium€12,500a month, all-in
Ireland€11,100a month, all-in
France€12,200a month, all-in
Denmarkkr 91,400a month, all-in
SwitzerlandCHF 17,800a month, all-in
CanadaC$ 15,000a month, all-inLocal hire against Miyagami
The comparison covers one senior engineer, with both monthly costs in local currency. Every line of the local figure is in the breakdown above.
Hiring locally in United States
- 4 months on average to hire
- Recruitment, payroll and compliance on you
Hiring with Miyagami
- Three weeks to first commit, contracts and payroll handled
- Wrong fit: we replace at our cost
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Monthly cost breakdown
Salary data: source| Miyagami | – | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly salary | Included | – |
| Employer costs | Included | – |
| Recruitment fee | Included | – |
| Average time to hire | 3 weeks to first commit | 4 months |
| Contract, compliance and payroll | Handled by Miyagami | Handled by you |
| Total a month | – | – |
Employer costs in –
Data: Deel hiring guide| Miyagami | – |
|---|
Salary: senior software engineer median (Ravio, October 2025; UK: IT Jobs Watch advertised salaries). Employer costs: statutory contributions from Deel's hiring guides, with published caps applied. Recruitment: an assumption of 20% of first-year salary, spread over a three-year tenure. Currency converted at the ECB reference rate of 1 October 2026. Holiday pay, equipment, office and management time are not included.
Questions about developer costs
The calculator above shows the full comparison in your currency.
PricingWhat does a senior software engineer cost in the United States?
About $20,900 a month all-in: a median salary of $18,300 a month, statutory employer costs of about 7.4%, and a recruitment fee spread over three years.
How long does it take to hire a senior engineer in the United States?
It takes about 4 months on average, from opening the role to the engineer's first day.
Why is the all-in cost so much higher than the salary?
On top of gross salary an employer pays statutory contributions such as social security, pension and insurance, plus the cost of recruiting. Spread over three years, a recruitment fee of about 20% of salary adds roughly 6 to 7% a year.
Where do these numbers come from?
The senior software engineer medians come from Ravio's compensation data, and the statutory employer costs come from Deel's country hiring guides. Equity, bonuses, equipment and office costs are excluded.
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