National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Cybersecurity Analysts at $120,360/year. Software Engineers earn 9% more nationally. The gap is $11,910 per year — or $993 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Cybersecurity Analyst
$120,360
national median/year
$10,030/mo • $58/hr
Annual salary gap
$11,910
Software Engineers earn 9% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $135,003.
Best states for Cybersecurity Analysts
vs Software Engineers
Virginia+$12,040
Maryland+$8,040
Kentucky+$6,040
Nebraska+$6,040
Iowa+$4,040
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Cybersecurity Analysts
California+$19,960
Washington+$15,960
Colorado+$13,960
Oregon+$11,960
Massachusetts+$7,960
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $120,360 for Cybersecurity Analysts — a difference of $11,910 per year or $993 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Cybersecurity Analysts is $11,910 per year. Software Engineers earn 9% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $135,003.
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 Cybersecurity Analysts the highest median salary at $148,360 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 Information Security 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 Cybersecurity Analysts earn approximately $58 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.
