National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Data Analysts at $102,200/year. Software Engineers earn 23% more nationally. The gap is $30,070 per year — or $2,506 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Data Analyst
$102,200
national median/year
$8,517/mo • $49/hr
Annual salary gap
$30,070
Software Engineers earn 23% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $340,852.
Best states for Data Analysts
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-6,000
Mississippi+$-10,000
South Dakota+$-10,000
West Virginia+$-10,000
Kentucky+$-12,000
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Data Analysts
California+$40,000
Washington+$36,000
Oregon+$32,000
Colorado+$30,000
Massachusetts+$26,000
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $102,200 for Data Analysts — a difference of $30,070 per year or $2,506 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Data Analysts is $30,070 per year. Software Engineers earn 23% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $340,852.
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 Data Analysts the highest median salary at $128,320 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 Business Intelligence 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 Data Analysts earn approximately $49 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.
