National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Dentists at $175,500/year. Dentists earn 33% more nationally. The gap is $43,230 per year — or $3,603 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Dentist
$175,500
national median/year
$14,625/mo • $84/hr
Annual salary gap
$43,230
Dentists earn 33% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $490,025.
Best states for Dentists
vs Software Engineers
Alaska+$80,000
Hawaii+$80,000
North Dakota+$76,000
Wyoming+$70,000
Iowa+$66,000
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Dentists
California+$-30,000
Washington+$-34,000
Colorado+$-40,000
Georgia+$-44,000
Idaho+$-44,000
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Dentists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $175,500 for Dentists — a difference of $43,230 per year or $3,603 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Dentists is $43,230 per year. Dentists earn 33% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $490,025.
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 Dentists the highest median salary at $198,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Dentists 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 Dentists, General 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 Dentists earn approximately $84 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.
