National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Electricians at $61,590/year. Software Engineers earn 53% more nationally. The gap is $70,680 per year — or $5,890 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Electrician
$61,590
national median/year
$5,133/mo • $30/hr
Annual salary gap
$70,680
Software Engineers earn 53% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $801,179.
Best states for Electricians
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-20,000
Alaska+$-28,000
Hawaii+$-28,000
West Virginia+$-30,000
Wyoming+$-30,000
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Electricians
California+$86,000
Washington+$80,000
Colorado+$74,000
Massachusetts+$70,000
Virginia+$68,000
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $61,590 for Electricians — a difference of $70,680 per year or $5,890 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Electricians is $70,680 per year. Software Engineers earn 53% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $801,179.
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, Alaska pays Electricians the highest median salary at $84,320 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 Electricians 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 Electricians earn approximately $30 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.
