National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Paralegals at $59,200/year. Software Engineers earn 55% more nationally. The gap is $73,070 per year — or $6,089 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Paralegal
$59,200
national median/year
$4,933/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$73,070
Software Engineers earn 55% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $828,270.
Best states for Paralegals
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-40,120
Mississippi+$-42,120
South Dakota+$-42,120
West Virginia+$-42,120
Kentucky+$-44,120
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Paralegals
California+$92,120
Washington+$88,120
Massachusetts+$78,120
Colorado+$76,120
New York+$74,120
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $59,200 for Paralegals — a difference of $73,070 per year or $6,089 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Paralegals is $73,070 per year. Software Engineers earn 55% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $828,270.
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 Paralegals the highest median salary at $76,200 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 Paralegals and Legal Assistants 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 Paralegals earn approximately $28 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.
