In many ways, software engineers paved the way for remote-working career professionals.

They were getting paid highly competitive salaries, all from the comfort of their own homes long before the pandemic hit. Now, as high as 86% of engineers are working remotely. What's more, software engineers hold some of the highest-paid salaries throughout the entire remote workspace. This of course is dependent on location, country, and the position you're in. 

So, if you're a software engineer and are thinking you might gather your things and travel to foreign lands far and wide, it's a good idea to understand which positions pay what -- and where. Compensation can be very different from one country to another. Fortunately for you, RemotePass has already done the research for you, so you can plan your work-from-home career plans accordingly. 

Below we've broken down salary benchmarks by software engineer position, and across the top countries (outside of the US) for software engineer employment. With any further ado, let's jump right in.

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How Remote Salaries Are Calculated by Employers

Keep in mind that there is always going to be a degree of variation. Some of you may negotiate your salary (totally fine), but these are the main determining factors for a remote software engineer salary: 

• Experience and Training - So many college students get handed their degree certificate and think they're going to go out there making well into six figures their first year out in the workforce. While that happens occasionally, 99% of companies aren't willing to fork out the serious cash until their employee has experience. Obviously the more, the better. Having degrees and training from prestigious institutes also affects the compensation.
  

• Employer's Budget - How much money does your prospective employer have in their budget? While most companies will get you somewhere close to the industry norms for a starting remote software engineer salary, they may be more competitive with the offer, and also be more receptive to counteroffers.
  

• Cost of Living - Each country (and different municipalities within a country) can have huge variations in their cost of healthcare, taxes, housing, food, etc. There are a lot of ways to check the COL for various different global locations, such as this link here.
  

Whether you're relocating to a different country, in a new job, or you're asking your employer to allow you to transfer elsewhere, you should definitely have a clear idea of what your average remote software engineer salary is in that location. 

A World-wide Comparison of Remote Software Engineer Salaries

A recent study, pulled from self-reported data of over 20,000 remote software developers on a global scale earned an average of $70,877 per year. As mentioned previously, however, This pay is heavily dependent on experience and location. 

Here's the data for remote software engineer salaries from around the globe (Outside of the US), with an average breakdown by position as well as by country: 

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United Kingdom: 

The birthplace of Shakespeare, The Beatles, Stonehenge, and so much more. The Uk is filled with rich history and culture, being made up of England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. 

If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $72,177 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $73,116
• Back-end Developer - $72,830
• Mobile Developer - $67,334
• Data Scientist - $73,387

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Poland:

Officially known as the Republic of Poland, this country has survived centuries of conflict, and emerged proudly with her independence.

 If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $71,327 per year. This is just slightly less than their neighbors in Western Europe.

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $65,410
• Back-end Developer - $68,385
• Mobile Developer - $67,433
• Data Scientist - $74,712

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Germany:

The Western European country is filled with forests, rivers, mountains, and northern beach scenery. This ancient country holds over 2,000 years of history. Even so, it's got a rich market for remote software engineers and tech positions. 

If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $72,900 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $73,116
• Back-end Developer - $72,830
• Mobile Developer - $67,334
• Data Scientist - $73,387

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Portugal:

Located on the Iberian Peninsula bordering Spain, This Atlantic country is a great maritime experience. If you move there to work, you may just fall in love with the architecture, or sunbathe on Matosinhos Beach. 

Their cost of living is lower than the previous countries, so if you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $61,608 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $56,956
• Back-end Developer - $60,123
• Mobile Developer - $57,448
• Data Scientist - $59,870

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Spain:

Nothern Southern European country with an astonishing architectural heritage, and an overwhelming amount of natural beauty. Inhabitants of this country have many things to enjoy, such as the Balearic Islands, Valencia: City of the Arts and Sciences, the great city of Madrid and more. 

If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $68,216 per year.

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $66,948
• Back-end Developer - $68,820
• Mobile Developer - $67,019
• Data Scientist - $72,676

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Netherlands:

The Northwestern European country is known for its tulip fields, cycling routes, windmills, and of course Amsterdam. Whether you're a previous resident or are deciding to move there so you can explore the canals of Amsterdam, you'll be paid well as a software dev. 

If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $75,656 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $76,654
• Back-end Developer - $76,135
• Mobile Developer - $65,992
• Data Scientist - $73,015

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India:

The Republic of India, located in South Asia. It's one of the most populated countries in the world and is also home to many, many remote software engineers. Other countries love to outsource remote software engineers from India, due to their much lower cost of living.

 If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $48,918 per year. This is also pretty close in compensation, regardless of which position you take.

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $45,862
• Back-end Developer - $48,241
• Mobile Developer - $47,570
• Data Scientist - $50,484

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Ukraine: 

This Eastern European country is swooping up developers fast. If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $59,862 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $57,240
• Back-end Developer - $58,335
• Mobile Developer - $56,659
• Data Scientist - $62,521

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Russia:

This country, also known as the Russian Federation, is the largest country in the world by landmass, spanning over 17,125,191 square kilometers, and making up a staggering 1/8 of the world's landmass. Russia is known for having world-class software developers. If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $62,723 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $58,619
• Back-end Developer - $60,946
• Mobile Developer - $58,362
• Data Scientist - $63,988

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Turkey: 

This country is actually one of the world's first permanently settled regions, dating all the way back to the Neolithic Era. Interestingly now, it's one of the top countries in the world for remote software engineers -- the new age of remote career professionals. Whether you're a previous citizen or fell in love with the Mediterranean hub of Antalya, If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of $56,658 per year. 

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - $54,277
• Back-end Developer - $58,312
• Mobile Developer - $54,356
• Data Scientist - $58,166

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Pakistan:

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has a population of over 225.1 million and is starting to have a major influx of remote software engineers. Many corporations from other countries enjoy outsourcing to employees from Pakistan, due to the high skill and relatively low cost compared to other countries. 

If you're interested in starting your remote software engineer career here, you'll be looking at an average of Rs 51,905 per month.

Here are the average salary variations per top roles: 

• Front-end Developer - Rs 52,965 per month
• Back-end Developer - Rs 61,950 per month
• Mobile Developer - Rs 44,518 per month
• Data Scientist - Rs 60,041 per month