National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Social Workers at $54,150/year. Software Engineers earn 59% more nationally. The gap is $78,120 per year — or $6,510 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$78,120
Software Engineers earn 59% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $885,513.
Best states for Social Workers
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-38,000
West Virginia+$-40,000
Mississippi+$-42,000
South Dakota+$-44,000
Wyoming+$-44,000
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Social Workers
California+$100,000
Washington+$96,000
Massachusetts+$86,000
New York+$86,000
Colorado+$84,000
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $54,150 for Social Workers — a difference of $78,120 per year or $6,510 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Social Workers is $78,120 per year. Software Engineers earn 59% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $885,513.
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 Social Workers the highest median salary at $68,320 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 Child, Family, and School Social Workers 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 Social Workers earn approximately $26 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.
