Two data sets, two pictures
Two large data sets on developer pay came out within a year of each other, and they disagree by tens of thousands of dollars. The Stack Overflow survey for 2026 puts the median US developer salary at $154,000. The Levels.fyi report for 2025 puts the median US software engineer at $192,500. Both are correct. They describe different people.
This article lays the two side by side: pay by country, pay by level, what each data set leaves out, and how to use the numbers when an offer arrives. All figures are medians in US dollars unless marked otherwise.
Median pay by country
From the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2026, which had 12,040 people answer the pay question. Salaries are converted to dollars by the survey team.
| Country | Median yearly pay | Respondents |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $154,000 | 2,885 |
| Switzerland | $139,262 | 229 |
| United Kingdom | $96,333 | 855 |
| Canada | $94,315 | 539 |
| Germany | $85,296 | 1,218 |
| Netherlands | $82,453 | 360 |
| Spain | $68,237 | 331 |
| Poland | $65,733 | 309 |
| France | $62,550 | 526 |
| Ukraine | $35,800 | 259 |
| India | $18,802 | 472 |
Two things stand out. Poland and Spain are within a few thousand dollars of each other and not far behind France, which surprises people who still think of Central Europe as the cheap option. And the gap between the US and Germany, about $69,000, is bigger than the whole median salary in Poland.
Pay by level in big tech
Levels.fyi collects offers and pay slips, mostly from large technology companies, and counts total compensation: base, bonus and stock. Its 2025 report for US software engineers:
| Level | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $152,500 | $155,000 | +1.6% |
| Software engineer (mid) | $222,000 | $226,000 | +1.8% |
| Senior engineer | $300,000 | $312,587 | +4.2% |
| Staff engineer | $425,500 | $457,500 | +7.5% |
| Principal engineer | $590,000 | $551,151 | −6.6% |
The same report gives a median of $73,618 for Europe as a whole and $148,289 for Switzerland. The pattern inside the table matters more than any single number: pay grew fastest at staff level and slowest at entry. Companies are paying more for the people who already know the system, and holding the line on new grads.
What each data set hides
| Stack Overflow survey | Levels.fyi | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Developers in any company, any country | Mostly engineers at large tech companies |
| What is counted | Yearly pay as reported, mostly base | Base + bonus + stock |
| Skew | Many small companies and freelancers | Toward the highest-paying employers |
| Good for | "What does a typical developer in my country earn?" | "What does this level pay at companies like this one?" |
My rule: use the survey to set your floor and Levels.fyi to set your ceiling. If an offer is below the survey median for your country and experience, ask why. If it is near the Levels.fyi number for your level at a comparable company, it is a strong offer.
Remote pay: location bands are the norm
"Remote" rarely means "US salary from anywhere". Most large employers that hire remotely publish bands by location: the same role pays one number in San Francisco, a lower one in Austin and a lower one again in Europe. A smaller group pays a single global band, and those roles get far more applicants per opening.
For engineers in Europe, the practical consequence is that a remote role with a US company usually lands between the local median and the US median. It is often a raise, rarely a doubling. And if it is a contract rather than employment through a local entity or an employer of record, the comparison must include the costs you now carry yourself.
If you plan to move: the Blue Card floor
The EU Blue Card sets a minimum salary for non-EU professionals, and each country sets its own. The 2026 numbers for the two most common destinations for engineers:
- Germany: €50,700 a year. A reduced floor of €45,934.20 applies to IT specialists and recent graduates.
- Netherlands: about €5,942 a month gross, excluding holiday pay; €4,754 for recent graduates.
Both thresholds are reset every January. Check Make it in Germany and the Dutch IND before you sign: an offer just under the floor is a visa refusal.
How to use the numbers in a real offer
The last item is the one people skip. Saying a number out loud to a recruiter is harder than looking it up. Ten minutes with a partner on a pair mock, where they play the recruiter who says "that is above our budget", makes the real call much calmer.
The short version
US developers earn a median of $154,000 by the broad survey and $192,500 by the big-tech data. Germany sits around $85,000, Poland and Spain around $66,000 to $68,000. Pay rose fastest at staff level in 2025. Use the survey for your floor, Levels.fyi for your ceiling, and compare contracts on cost to you, not on the headline.
Related: how to read a job post, when your manager will not promote you, will AI take engineering jobs.
Questions readers ask
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Why do Levels.fyi and Stack Overflow give such different numbers?
They ask different people. Levels.fyi data skews to large tech companies and counts equity and bonus; the Stack Overflow survey covers developers everywhere and mostly reports base salary.
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Do remote jobs pay US salaries in Europe?
Some do, most do not. Many US companies pay by location band, so a remote role from Berlin is usually priced closer to Berlin than to San Francisco.
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What salary do I need for an EU Blue Card?
Each country sets its own floor. In 2026 Germany requires €50,700 a year, or €45,934.20 for IT specialists and recent graduates; the Netherlands about €5,942 a month. Check the official portal before applying.
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How do I find out what my level is worth?
Compare three sources for your city and level, then ask the recruiter for the band of the role. Where pay transparency laws apply, they must give you a range.
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Is this salary advice for my negotiation?
It is market data with sources, not personal advice. Use it to check whether an offer is in the normal range, then prepare the conversation with a partner on a mock.
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Sources
- Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2026: salary data
- Levels.fyi: 2025 end of year pay report
- Make it in Germany: EU Blue Card
- IND Netherlands: income requirements
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Software developers, occupational outlook
Figures were checked against these pages in October 2026. Pay and dates change; the links show where to recheck.