Software Engineer Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West, covering 27,000 jobs.
Median salary — South West
£51,631
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 6.5% change on the previous year
Mean
£55,065
Jobs measured
27,000
What a typical software engineer takes home
On the median of £51,631, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,375
Take-home a year
£40,503
Income Tax
£8,084
National Insurance
£3,043
What most software engineers actually earn
Half of software engineers in South West earn between £39,281 and £69,699. Earning above £69,699 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Information Technology Professionals” group in South West.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of software engineers earn less than this.
How South West ranks for software engineer pay
4th
of 7 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £74,284 and West Midlands sits at the bottom on £47,744. South West is £22,653 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Programmers and software development professionals
- SOC 2020 code
- 2134
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “software engineer” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Programmers and software development professionals”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS measures programmers and software development professionals as one group - it separates neither specialism nor seniority.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Software Engineer salary FAQs
What is the average Software Engineer salary in South West?
The median is £51,631 a year and the mean is £55,065, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a software engineer earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £29.31 excluding overtime, or £29.61 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South West.
What is a good Software Engineer salary?
Half of software engineers earn between £39,281 and £69,699. Anything above £69,699 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a software engineer?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of software engineers earn under £30,000 and the lowest quarter under £39,281 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do software engineers in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £51,631 against £55,587 across the UK, 7.1% lower, which places it 4th highest of the 7 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has software engineer pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +6.5% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many software engineers are there in South West?
ASHE counts around 27,000 employee jobs in “Programmers and software development professionals” (SOC 2134) in South West. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
Similar roles
Official figures show the market. Your salary shows what employers actually pay.
Add your salary anonymously