A soft magnetic alloy includes a main component of Fe. The soft magnetic alloy includes a Fe composition network phase where regions whose Fe content is larger than an average composition of the soft magnetic alloy are linked. The Fe composition network phase contains Fe content maximum points that are locally higher than their surroundings. A virtual-line total distance per 1 μm3 of the soft magnetic alloy is 10 mm to 25 mm provided that the virtual-line total distance is a sum of virtual lines linking the maximum points adjacent each other. A virtual-line average distance that is an average distance of the virtual lines is 6 nm or more and 12 nm or less.