National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Business Analysts at $99,410/year. Software Engineers earn 25% more nationally. The gap is $32,860 per year — or $2,738 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Business Analyst
$99,410
national median/year
$8,284/mo • $48/hr
Annual salary gap
$32,860
Software Engineers earn 25% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $372,478.
Best states for Business Analysts
vs Software Engineers
Virginia+$-7,910
Kentucky+$-9,910
Maryland+$-9,910
Nebraska+$-9,910
North Dakota+$-9,910
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Business Analysts
California+$37,910
Washington+$33,910
Colorado+$31,910
Oregon+$31,910
Idaho+$25,910
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $99,410 for Business Analysts — a difference of $32,860 per year or $2,738 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Business Analysts is $32,860 per year. Software Engineers earn 25% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $372,478.
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, New York pays Business Analysts the highest median salary at $132,410 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 Management Analysts 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 Business Analysts earn approximately $48 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.
