Comp benchmarks: who’s paid what

Levels.fyi’s U.S. dataset shows Prompt Engineer reported total compensation ranges from about $83.2K (25th percentile) to $230K (75th percentile) with a median total comp near $150K, illustrating the wide dispersion behind the social benchmarks. (levels.fyi) Glassdoor’s employer-reported listings place “AI Prompt Engineer” base-to-senior estimates roughly between $118K and $310K depending on seniority and employer, underscoring that role ceilings vary dramatically by company. (glassdoor.com) Senior Java developer median pay benchmarks differ by source and country: Salary.com reports a U.S. average around $105,158 (with a typical range ~$84K–$121K as of Jan 1, 2026), while Glassdoor’s Canadian dataset shows an average near CA$100,957 for senior Java roles. (salary.com) Front-end React developer aggregates on Glassdoor put average U.S. total pay roughly in the $96K–$103K band (with reported total-pay medians above $100K in some city-adjusted samples), explaining why market posts list React behind niche AI/infra roles. (glassdoor.com) Specialized stacks pay a premium: Glassdoor reports Rust developer total-pay estimates north of $120K–$160K on average, and SRE/DevOps roles show median total-pay estimates from roughly $106K to $160K depending on seniority, supporting the claim that systems and infra skills command higher compensation. (glassdoor.com.hk) Macro labor-data and reporting show the old “job-switch for double-digit bumps” dynamic has cooled — recent analysis finds the pay gap between job switchers and stayers narrowed in 2025–2026, meaning skill-driven role-choice or internal regrade strategies can now be as important as switching employers for compensation growth. (cnbc.com)