A software engineer at a quant firm builds the internal platforms the desks depend on: order and position systems, research tooling, reference data services and internal applications. New York total compensation typically runs from about $175,000 at entry level to $550,000 or more at staff level. How much of that sits in bonus varies by firm and desk; we do not hold a measured comparison against general technology pay, so treat the split as offer-specific.
Live vacancies
320
Employers hiring
20
Market guides
17
Seniority bands
4
How much does a software engineer earn?
A software engineer at a quant firm builds the internal platforms the desks depend on: order and position systems, research tooling, reference data services and internal applications. New York total compensation typically runs from about $175,000 at entry level to $550,000 or more at staff level. How much of that sits in bonus varies by firm and desk; we do not hold a measured comparison against general technology pay, so treat the split as offer-specific. 320 software engineer roles are open right now across 20 employers and 18 cities we track.
KnowQuant research desk·Updated 1 September 2026·320 live vacancies from 20 employers, plus 4 modelled seniority bands across 17 hub markets·Method 2026.1
Where software engineer demand sits today
Vacancy counts come straight from the career pages of the employers we track and change daily. The pay tables below are modelled bands, dated separately, so you can see demand and money side by side without confusing the two.
Live vacancies
320
Open roles matching this function
Employers hiring
20
Distinct firms with an open seat
Doctorate preferred
22
Vacancies stating a PhD preference
Open roles by city
London
77
New York
72
Chicago
40
Singapore
23
Hong Kong
23
Mumbai
20
Amsterdam
16
Sydney
11
Read live from each employer's own career page. Last full refresh September 2026. Pay ranges shown further down are modelled and labelled where an employer has not stated a figure.
By city
Modelled total compensation range across every seniority, with the modelled reference estimate for the role, in each market's local currency.
Software Engineer total compensation by city, September 2026
Annual median wage across all employers, not just quant firms, for the government occupations closest to a software engineer. Quant-firm pay usually sits well above these medians; use them as a floor and a regional guide, not as a quant benchmark.
New York reference market, US dollars. Base salary and total compensation.
Software Engineer compensation by seniority in New York, September 2026
Level
Experience
Base
Total comp
Graduate Engineer
0-2 yrs
$125k – $175k
$175k – $290k
Engineer
2-5 yrs
$160k – $225k
$240k – $420k
Senior Engineer
5-8 yrs
$200k – $280k
$340k – $620k
Staff / Engineering Lead
8+ yrs
$235k – $340k
$450k – $950k
About the role
This is the largest technology population at most trading firms and the one most often misread from outside. The work is ordinary software engineering in language and tooling, but the operating environment is not: releases affect live risk, correctness matters more than velocity, and at some firms engineers own their services end to end rather than handing them to a separate support tier. Firms hire heavily from large technology companies. Cash compensation is structured differently from a big-technology package because bonus is funded from firm profit rather than an equity refresh; we do not hold a measured comparison of the two, so treat any step up as offer-specific.
Skills firms hire for
Python
C++
Java or Rust
Distributed systems
Testing and correctness
Linux
Typical backgrounds
-Computer science graduates
-Engineers from large technology companies
-Backend and platform specialists from fintech
-Self-taught engineers with strong systems fundamentals
Sourced answers to the questions people bring to this page, each with the figure, the date and the caveat.
How much does a software engineer earn?
A software engineer at a quant firm builds the internal platforms the desks depend on: order and position systems, research tooling, reference data services and internal applications. New York total compensation typically runs from about $175,000 at entry level to $550,000 or more at staff level. How much of that sits in bonus varies by firm and desk; we do not hold a measured comparison against general technology pay, so treat the split as offer-specific. The New York band runs $175k – $950k in annual total compensation, with a modelled reference estimate of $305k. Figures are base salary plus expected performance bonus, excluding sign-on, deferred equity and carry.
What does a software engineer earn at entry level?
An entry hire (Graduate Engineer, 0-2 years) is typically offered $125k to $175k in base salary and $175k to $290k in total compensation in New York. At the senior end (Staff / Engineering Lead, 8+ years) total compensation reaches $950k.
Where is the best-paid market for a software engineer?
New York leads on headline modelled total compensation at $305k, with London at £205k. Both are modelled reference estimates for the role, not observed medians. Bands are shown in each market's local currency across 17 hub markets, so tax treatment and cost of living still change the net picture materially.
What skills do firms hire software engineers for?
The recurring requirements are Python, C++, Java or Rust, Distributed systems, Testing and correctness. Typical backgrounds are computer science graduates, engineers from large technology companies, backend and platform specialists from fintech. Of the live vacancies we classify for this role, 22 ask for a PhD.
How many software engineers roles are open right now?
We currently classify 320 open software engineer vacancies across 20 firms and 18 markets. The count is rebuilt from employer career pages rather than reposted listings, so it reflects roles that are genuinely open.
Can I quote these software engineer figures?
Yes, with attribution and a link. Method 2026.1, last reviewed September 2026. Cite the dated edition rather than the live page if you need the number to stay stable: KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/salary/software-engineer
Free to quote and republish with attribution and a link to the source page, under our terms. Method 2026.1, last reviewed 1 September 2026. The methodology sets out how each band is built and what it excludes.
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The dated market call: which desks opened seats, where pay shifted, and which markets tightened. Written by the research desk, sent Monday, and nothing else.
Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQuant·Index 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.
KnowQuant·Index 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
KnowQuant · Publishes indicative market ranges for information purposes and does not provide financial advice.