Software Engineer Salary in West Virginia (2026)
Average Software Engineer pay in West Virginia
$145,000/year
≈ $70/hour before tax
After tax (single filer)
$104,622/year
$8,718/month · effective tax rate 27.85%
- Federal $23,534
- State $5,752
- FICA $11,093
- Take-home
Pay by role in West Virginia
- Staff / Principal Engineer (WVU / WesBanco / FBI CJIS)$155,000–$255,000+ TC
- Senior Engineer (Cleared / FBI CJIS Clarksburg)$130,000–$200,000
- Senior Engineer (Cleared / NETL Morgantown)$125,000–$190,000
- Senior Engineer (Healthcare / Epic)$110,000–$165,000
- Senior Engineer (Federal Civilian / NIOSH / IRS)$118,000–$175,000
- Senior Engineer (Banking)$105,000–$162,000
See the full tax breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $104,622 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $8,718 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $4,024 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $50/hr |
Federal Tax | $23,534 |
State Tax | $5,752 |
FICA Taxes | $11,093 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 27.85% |
Not all Software Engineers earn the same — not even close
West Virginia's software engineering market is anchored by FBI CJIS Division Clarksburg (~3K cleared federal civilian + contractor workforce managing NCIC + IAFIS + NICS), NIOSH Morgantown (CDC occupational health research IT), NETL National Energy Technology Laboratory Morgantown (DOE energy systems research), WVU Medicine Morgantown (the largest WV health system + only WV academic medical IT), Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV Buffalo plant IT, WesBanco HQ Wheeling (Fortune 1000 regional banking), Diversified Energy Bridgeport (NYSE-listed Marcellus natural gas), Mylan/Viatris Morgantown pharma IT legacy, plus WVU + Marshall + WV School of Osteopathic Medicine pipelines.
Staff / Principal Engineer (WVU / WesBanco / FBI CJIS)
$155,000–$255,000+ TC
Senior IC at WV major employers + cleared federal + healthcare
Senior Engineer (Cleared / FBI CJIS Clarksburg)
$130,000–$200,000
FBI CJIS · NCIC + IAFIS + NICS · TS/SCI + poly clearance premium
Senior Engineer (Cleared / NETL Morgantown)
$125,000–$190,000
NETL DOE national lab · energy systems + CCUS + hydrogen + cleared research
Senior Engineer (Healthcare / Epic)
$110,000–$165,000
WVU Medicine + CAMC + Cabell Huntington + Marshall Health · clinical informatics
Senior Engineer (Federal Civilian / NIOSH / IRS)
$118,000–$175,000
NIOSH Morgantown + IRS Martinsburg Computing Center · GS-13/14 federal civilian
Senior Engineer (Banking)
$105,000–$162,000
WesBanco Wheeling + United Bank Charleston · regional banking tech
Senior Engineer (Manufacturing / Toyota)
$108,000–$165,000
Toyota WV Buffalo + Special Metals Huntington · automotive + specialty alloys MES
Engineering Manager
$155,000–$255,000+ TC
EM at WV Fortune 1000 + cleared contractors · team lead
Mid-Level Engineer (3-6 yrs)
$82,000–$125,000
Functional IC at WV major employers · transitioning to senior band
Junior Engineer (0-3 yrs)
$62,000–$88,000
WVU CS + Marshall + WV State + WV University at Parkersburg pipeline · entry band
Worth knowing: FBI CJIS Division Clarksburg is the country's most distinctive concentrated US federal criminal justice IT operations facility and a feature most national SE surveys understate for WV. FBI CJIS (~3K total workforce + the FBI division managing the National Crime Information Center NCIC + Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS + National Instant Criminal Background Check System NICS + Uniform Crime Reporting + the substantial FBI-CJIS cleared federal civilian + cleared contractor workforce supporting law enforcement data systems used by every US police department + sheriff + state trooper agency) supports substantial cleared SE work. Senior cleared FBI CJIS engineers + contractors clear $130-200K + TS/SCI + poly clearance premium. NIOSH Morgantown (CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health HQ'd in Morgantown WV + the substantial occupational health research IT supporting workplace safety + mine safety + black lung surveillance + respirator certification) supports substantial federal civilian SE work at GS-13/14. NETL National Energy Technology Laboratory Morgantown (DOE national lab + ~1.2K total Morgantown workforce + the substantial CCUS carbon capture + hydrogen + clean coal + natural gas + energy storage research IT) supports substantial cleared SE work. WVU Medicine Morgantown (the largest WV health system + WVU J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital + only WV academic medical center IT + the substantial WVU Cancer Institute + WVU Heart and Vascular Institute) operates substantial Epic + clinical informatics IT. WesBanco Wheeling (Fortune 1000 ~$18B assets + the largest WV-HQ bank) regional banking tech. WV progressive 2.36-5.12% top by 2026 (post-2023 HB 2526 + 2024 HB 2024 reforms from 6.5% top in 2022) + WV RTW since 2016 + WV property tax ~0.55% effective (among lowest US) + no state estate tax + lower Morgantown + Charleston + Huntington cost of living anchor the WV SE proposition.
Sources & Methodology
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction
- →IRS Notice 2025-67 — 2026 retirement-plan contribution limits
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — 2026 HSA contribution limits
- →Social Security Administration — 2026 Social Security wage base
- →WV Tax Division IT-140 Tax Rate Schedules - Schedule I (single, head of household, married filing joint) and Schedule II (married filing separately)
- →BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — Software Engineer wage data for West Virginia
Salary figures are market estimates for Software Engineers in West Virginia and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and West Virginia 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.
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Read the guideTypical Software Engineer Salary by Experience (National)
US-wide ranges, not West Virginia figures. Each link shows the West Virginia taxes on that salary.
Entry Level (0–3 yrs)
$110,000
/year
Mid Level (3–7 yrs)
$145,000
/year
Senior Level (7+ yrs)
$200,000
/year
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More on West Virginia
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for West Virginia in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for West Virginia in 2026.
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