Software Engineer Average Salary in Costa Rica 2023
How much money does a Software Engineer make in Costa Rica?
LOW
1,220,000
CRC AVERAGE
2,300,000
CRC HIGH
3,500,000
CRC
A person working as a Software Engineer in Costa Rica typically earns around 2,300,000 CRC per month. Salaries range from 1,220,000 CRC (lowest) to 3,500,000 CRC (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Software Engineer salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Software Engineer Salary Distribution in Costa Rica
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
Salary Range
Software Engineer salaries in Costa Rica range from 1,220,000 CRC per month (minimum salary) to 3,500,000 CRC per month (maximum salary).
Median Salary
The median salary is 2,160,000 CRC per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Software Engineer(s) are earning less than 2,160,000 CRC while the other half are earning more than 2,160,000 CRC. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Software Engineer(s) are earning less than 1,520,000 CRC while 75% of them are earning more than 1,520,000 CRC. Also from the diagram, 75% of Software Engineer(s) are earning less than 2,660,000 CRC while 25% are earning more than 2,660,000 CRC.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
Software Engineer Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Software Engineer salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Software Engineer with less than two years of experience makes approximately 1,400,000 CRC per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 1,720,000 CRC per month, 23% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 2,440,000 CRC per month, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Software Engineer(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 2,850,000 CRC per month, 17% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 3,130,000 CRC per month, 10% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 3,310,000 CRC per month, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Software Engineer average salary change by experience in Costa Rica
| 0 - 2 Years | 1,400,000 CRC | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +23% | 1,720,000 CRC |
| 5 - 10 Years | +42% | 2,440,000 CRC |
| 10 - 15 Years | +17% | 2,850,000 CRC |
| 15 - 20 Years | +10% | 3,130,000 CRC |
| 20+ Years | +6% | 3,310,000 CRC |
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Software Engineer Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Software Engineer(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Software Engineer salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Certificate or Diploma, the average salary of a Software Engineer is 1,720,000 CRC per month.
While someone with a Bachelor's Degree gets a salary of 2,220,000 CRC per month, 29% more than someone having a Certificate or Diploma degree.
A Master's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 3,180,000 CRC per month, 43% more than someone with a Bachelor's Degree.
Software Engineer average salary difference by education level in Costa Rica
| Certificate or Diploma | 1,720,000 CRC | |
| Bachelor's Degree | +29% | 2,220,000 CRC |
| Master's Degree | +43% | 3,180,000 CRC |
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Costa Rica costs anywhere from 11,800,000 Costa Rican Colon(s) to 35,400,000 Costa Rican Colon(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Software Engineer Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Software Engineer employees in Costa Rica earn 8% more than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 2,370,000 CRC | |
| Female | -7% | 2,200,000 CRC |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Costa Rica for all Careers
Software Engineer Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Costa Rica
How much are annual salary increments in Costa Rica for Software Engineer(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Software Engineer
Software Engineer(s) in Costa Rica are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 13% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 17 months.
Costa Rica / All Professions
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022
| Banking | 7% | |
| Energy | 5% | |
| Information Technology | 3% | |
| Healthcare | 1% | |
| Travel | 8% | |
| Construction | 6% | |
| Education | 4% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Costa Rica for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Software Engineer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Costa Rica
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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A Software Engineer is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
50% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 50% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 50% | |
| No Bonus | 50% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Software Engineer Average Hourly Wage in Costa Rica
13,300 CRC per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Costa Rica is 13,300 CRC. This means that the average Software Engineer in Costa Rica earns approximately 13,300 CRC for every worked hour.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
Software Engineer VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Software Engineer is 6% less than that of Data Analysis. Also, Data Analysis salaries are 3% more than those of Information Technology.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | 2,480,000 CRC |  +8% |
| Business Systems Analyst | 2,000,000 CRC |  -13% |
| Data Quality Analyst | 2,120,000 CRC | -8% |
| Director of Application Development | 3,350,000 CRC | +46% |
| Disaster Recovery Analyst | 2,190,000 CRC | -5% |
| Enterprise Infrastructure Architect | 2,830,000 CRC | +23% |
| ERP Analyst | 2,470,000 CRC | +7% |
| Functional Analyst | 2,420,000 CRC | +5% |
| Information Technology Training Analyst | 2,280,000 CRC | -1% |
| OPS Manager | 3,210,000 CRC | +40% |
| Reporting Analyst | 2,310,000 CRC | +0% |
| Salesforce Administrator | 2,110,000 CRC | -8% |
| SOA Analyst | 2,280,000 CRC | -1% |
| Software Analyst | 2,210,000 CRC | -4% |
| Software Architect | 2,150,000 CRC | -6% |
| Software Engineer | 2,300,000 CRC | +0% |
| Solutions Architect | 2,940,000 CRC | +28% |
| Systems Analyst | 2,130,000 CRC | -7% |
| Systems Architect | 2,310,000 CRC | +0% |
| Technical Analyst | 1,980,000 CRC | -14% |
| Technology Business Analyst | 2,330,000 CRC | +1% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| San Jose | 2,560,000 CRC |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Costa Rica earn 6% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
| Private Sector | 2,310,000 CRC | |
| Public Sector | +6% | 2,450,000 CRC |
