National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Accountants at $79,880/year. Software Engineers earn 40% more nationally. The gap is $52,390 per year — or $4,366 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Accountant
$79,880
national median/year
$6,657/mo • $38/hr
Annual salary gap
$52,390
Software Engineers earn 40% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $593,856.
Best states for Accountants
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-18,000
Mississippi+$-20,000
West Virginia+$-20,000
Kentucky+$-24,000
Louisiana+$-24,000
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Accountants
California+$70,000
Washington+$70,000
Colorado+$60,000
Oregon+$60,000
Massachusetts+$56,000
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $79,880 for Accountants — a difference of $52,390 per year or $4,366 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Accountants is $52,390 per year. Software Engineers earn 40% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $593,856.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Software Engineers the highest median salary at $168,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Accountants the highest median salary at $98,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Software Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Accountants and Auditors both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Software Engineers earn approximately $64 per hour nationally and Accountants earn approximately $38 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
