National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Dental Hygienists at $81,400/year. Software Engineers earn 38% more nationally. The gap is $50,870 per year — or $4,239 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Dental Hygienist
$81,400
national median/year
$6,783/mo • $39/hr
Annual salary gap
$50,870
Software Engineers earn 38% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $576,626.
Best states for Dental Hygienists
vs Software Engineers
Alaska+$-9,920
Hawaii+$-9,920
North Dakota+$-13,920
Nevada+$-19,920
South Dakota+$-19,920
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Dental Hygienists
New York+$55,920
California+$53,920
Colorado+$51,920
Massachusetts+$51,920
Washington+$49,920
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $81,400 for Dental Hygienists — a difference of $50,870 per year or $4,239 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Dental Hygienists is $50,870 per year. Software Engineers earn 38% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $576,626.
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 Dental Hygienists the highest median salary at $114,400 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 Dental Hygienists 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 Dental Hygienists earn approximately $39 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.
