National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs IT Managers at $169,510/year. IT Managers earn 28% more nationally. The gap is $37,240 per year — or $3,103 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
IT Manager
$169,510
national median/year
$14,126/mo • $81/hr
Annual salary gap
$37,240
IT Managers earn 28% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $422,126.
Best states for IT Managers
vs Software Engineers
Virginia+$68,190
Maryland+$62,190
Minnesota+$54,190
New Jersey+$54,190
New York+$54,190
Best states for Software Engineers
vs IT Managers
Arkansas+$-34,190
Mississippi+$-34,190
Alabama+$-36,190
Alaska+$-36,190
Idaho+$-36,190
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IT Managers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $169,510 for IT Managers — a difference of $37,240 per year or $3,103 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and IT Managers is $37,240 per year. IT Managers earn 28% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $422,126.
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 IT Managers the highest median salary at $212,510 per year.
Salary is one factor — IT Managers 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 Computer and Information Systems Managers 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 IT Managers earn approximately $81 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.
