National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Project Managers at $98,580/year. Software Engineers earn 25% more nationally. The gap is $33,690 per year — or $2,808 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Project Manager
$98,580
national median/year
$8,215/mo • $47/hr
Annual salary gap
$33,690
Software Engineers earn 25% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $381,886.
Best states for Project Managers
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-6,000
Mississippi+$-10,000
South Dakota+$-10,000
West Virginia+$-10,000
Kentucky+$-12,000
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Project Managers
California+$46,000
Washington+$40,000
Colorado+$36,000
Oregon+$36,000
Massachusetts+$30,000
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $98,580 for Project Managers — a difference of $33,690 per year or $2,808 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Project Managers is $33,690 per year. Software Engineers earn 25% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $381,886.
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 Project Managers the highest median salary at $122,320 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 Project Management Specialists 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 Project Managers earn approximately $47 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.
