What a veteran software engineer earns
Two numbers matter: what a graduate can expect to start at, and what the role pays across the industry once you are in it. Here are both, with where each one comes from.
- Length
- 17 weeks
- Commitment
- 20–30 hrs/week
- Format
- Remote-first · platform + sessions
- Cost
- $0
- Eligibility
- U.S. veterans, service members & spouses
- Outcome
- Software engineer
The starting number
Vets Who Code graduates enter the field in software engineering roles, and the program's target for average starting salary is $72K–$85K. That is a target the program is built to hit, not a guarantee to any individual. Your offer depends on the role, the company, the market you are in and the body of work you bring to the interview.
The industry band for the role
The role is software developer or software engineer, Standard Occupational Classification 15-1252. In the curated labor-market data behind our career guides, the average salary for that role sits in a $105K–$115K band. It is an average across all experience levels, so treat it as where the role goes, not where it starts.
What moves the number
- The stack and its depth. The curriculum runs through Foundations, Software Engineering, AI Engineering and Production Mastery. Production AI engineering is in demand, and it moves the number.
- Seniority. The industry band above includes engineers years into the role. Pay climbs with each year of shipped work.
- The body of work. Blogs, merged pull requests and shipped features are what let you negotiate from evidence instead of hope.
- Location and company. Remote roles at national employers pay differently from local ones.
What it costs to get there
$0. There is no tuition and no income share agreement, so the first paycheck is yours. The accelerator is 17 weeks, remote-first, and funded by donors and partners.
Where graduates work
Microsoft, Accenture Federal Services, Amazon, Google, GitHub, Booz Allen, Deloitte and other companies across the industry. 300+ veterans, service members and military spouses have trained through the program. 97% of graduates land software engineering roles, and alumni earnings total $20M+ collectively.
Apply when you are ready to earn one of those numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the starting salary for a veteran software engineer?
The Vets Who Code program target for average starting salary is $72K–$85K. Individual offers vary with the role, the company, the location and the body of work you bring to the interview.
Does Vets Who Code guarantee a salary or a job?
No. We train you to earn the role; we do not place you in one. What we provide is the curriculum, a mentor, a body of work and career support through the search. 97% of graduates land software engineering roles.
How long until I earn a software engineering salary?
The accelerator is 17 weeks at 20–30 hours a week, followed by the job search. Career support continues after graduation.
Is the training free?
Yes. $0 tuition, no income share agreement and no loan. Donors and partners fund the program, so the first paycheck is yours.
Which roles pay in this band?
Software developer and software engineer roles, SOC 15-1252, which covers frontend, backend and full-stack engineers. That is the role the accelerator trains for.
2027 Cohort · Applications Open