Side-by-side distribution
Kotlin
$196,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 8.8%
- Live roles
- 68
Software Engineer
$191,498
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44%
- Live roles
- 15,363
Highest-paying jobs
Software Engineer 3- Python/Kotlin/Java/Terraform/ElasticSearch/OpenSearch/AWS
Kotlin Multiplatform Engineer (Senior-Staff Levels)
Staff Android (Kotlin) Engineer — Digital Signage / Embedded Media Platform
Senior Software Engineer, Android (Kotlin)
Backend Customer Success Engineer (Kotlin Ecosystem)
Software Engineer II (Mobile Developer - Android/Kotlin) - Mobile App Growth
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Software Engineer, Growth
Intermediate Backend Software Engineer
Staff Software Engineer (Backend)
Lead Software Engineer (Backend)
Senior Software Engineer, Machine Learning (Audio)
Software Engineer - Solana
Software Engineer - EVM
Software Engineer - Stellar
Software Engineer - Compliance
Senior Staff+ Software Engineer, Kubernetes Platform
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Grocery TV
|
$212,500 | 1 |
|
Cantina
|
$205,000 | 1 |
|
Captivation Software
|
$200,000 | 1 |
| DO Doximity | $192,000 | 1 |
|
Klaviyo
|
$145,000 | 1 |
|
JetBrains
|
$138,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$222,000 | 296 |
OpenAI
|
$309,000 | 112 |
Speechify
|
$170,000 | 103 |
Databricks
|
$214,700 | 98 |
Applied Intuition
|
$176,750 | 84 |
Roblox
|
$269,270 | 82 |
Palantir
|
$167,500 | 74 |
SpaceX
|
$137,500 | 65 |
Software Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $225,000 | 1,399 |
| Sydney | $224,060 | 8 |
| New York | $215,000 | 1,163 |
| Seattle | $212,000 | 418 |
| Austin | $199,450 | 134 |
| Boston | $186,050 | 230 |
| Los Angeles | $183,150 | 165 |
| Bangalore | $181,219 | 4 |
| Chicago | $180,000 | 137 |
| London | $175,072 | 113 |
Kotlin vs Software Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Kotlin is $196,000 per year (typically $156,750–$203,750), versus $191,498 for Software Engineer ($152,500–$225,000). That puts Kotlin about 2% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Kotlin and Software Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.