As of May 18, 2021, the average hourly rate for a Release Engineer III in the United States is $59, which translates to an annual salary of about $123,018.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
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A Release Engineer III's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Release Engineer III's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Job Role | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Release Engineer I | 0-2 years | $73,921 |
| Release Engineer II | 2-4 years | $99,341 |
| Release Engineer III | 4-7 years | $123,018 |
| Release Engineer IV | 7+ years | $139,253 |
| Release Engineer V | 7-10 years | $171,936 |
What Am I Worth?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Release Engineer IIIs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Planning | 4.69% |
| Release Engineering | 3.28% |
| Git | 2.11% |
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
|
Git
|
$130,399 |
6%
|
|
Python
|
$130,399 |
6%
|
|
Jenkins
|
$129,169 |
5%
|
|
AWS
|
$129,169 |
5%
|
|
Docker
|
$127,939 |
4%
|
|
Scheduling
|
$126,709 |
3%
|
Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Release Engineer IIIs enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Release Engineer III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $113,678 and $119,524).
Release Engineer III Salaries by Degree Level
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 0.4% |
| High School | 8.0% |
| Associates | 5.2% |
| Bachelors | 60.6% |
| Masters | 23.5% |
| Doctorate | 2.0% |
Understanding how a Release Engineer III's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Last Updated on May 18, 2021Salaries for a Release Engineer III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $125,942 in 2023 to around $124,401 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Release Engineer III salary trends, .
| Year | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
View More
|
| 2023 | $125,942 |
| 2024 | $125,843 |
| 2025 | $124,401 |
| 2026 |
View More
|
| 2027 |
View More
|
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Responsible for software builds and releases. Responsible for the design and development of builds, scripts, installation procedures, and systems including source code control and issue tracking. Works closely with a quality assurance team to ensure final version is up to organizational standards. Requires a bachelor's degree in a related area. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4 -7 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Planning: An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Release Engineering: Release engineering, frequently abbreviated as RE or as the clipped compound Releng, is a sub-discipline in software engineering concerned with the compilation, assembly, and delivery of source code into finished products or other software components. Associated with the software release life cycle, it was said by Boris Debic of Google Inc. that release engineering is to software engineering as manufacturing is to an industrial process:
Git: An open-source version control system (VCS) used to store code, track revision history, and merge source code changes to enable multiple developers to work together on non-linear development.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
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