Google Tops the List of Highest-Paid Software Engineers

So it’s not all about the free gourmet meals, there’s more to that! Search giant Google has been hailed for several years as one of the best companies to work for. According to rumors, Google apparently receives 150,000 CV’s everyday for aspiring software engineers and staff. And with a recent report released by Glassdoor, resumes will surely flood in Googleplex as it tops the list of highest-paid software engineers for 2012.

Glassdoor released a salary data on Wednesday which used the salary reports shared by current and recent software engineers at 15 tech companies for the past 12 months. The report shows that the national average for a software engineer’s base salary is $92,648 based on 5,000 salary reports. However, among the 15 tech companies, two of them came in below the average rate. Intel offers $92.194 to its software engineers while IBM pays $89,390 base salary.

Google then sits on the top. It offers a whopping base salary of $128,336 on top of its other perks and benefits. That is actually little greater compared to what Google paid to its software engineers last year which is $114,596. Here’s a quote from an anonymous Google software engineer as shared by Glassdoor:

“Everybody who’s paying attention knows how great the perks are. Between on-site gyms, massage, a wide selection of health benefits, 401k and stock grants, competitive salary and of course, the free gourmet meals, it’s one of the cushiest jobs in Silicon Valley.”

Here’s the list of tech companies who made it to the top five:

Google --  $128,336

Facebook --  $123,626

Apple --  $114,413

eBay --  $108,809

Zynga --  $105, 568

But if you’ve noticed though, most of the companies who made it to the top are California-based. It’s no secret that the cost of living in California is quite expensive compared to other states. So, there’s no doubt that companies would offer a higher base salary unlike non-California companies as it cost lesser to live in those places. I guess, Glassdoor may have failed on that part. The cost of living should be considered as well as it affects the salary offers made by any companies.

Oh well, if I got the brains of a software engineer I might as well go with Google (even if we drop the salary topic). Nothing beats a free gourmet meal like for the rest of your working lives. Just imagine how much you can save up from those free meals. It’s one of the best perks ever! Would you agree? 

Sources: LA Times, Glassdoor