National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Surgeons at $297,800/year. Surgeons earn 125% more nationally. The gap is $165,530 per year — or $13,794 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Surgeon
$297,800
national median/year
$24,817/mo • $143/hr
Annual salary gap
$165,530
Surgeons earn 125% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,876,331.
Best states for Surgeons
vs Software Engineers
Alaska+$199,680
Hawaii+$195,680
Connecticut+$189,680
Maryland+$186,680
Minnesota+$186,680
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Surgeons
Georgia+$-159,680
Colorado+$-163,680
Idaho+$-163,680
Washington+$-163,680
Alabama+$-166,680
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Surgeons earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $297,800 for Surgeons — a difference of $165,530 per year or $13,794 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Surgeons is $165,530 per year. Surgeons earn 125% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,876,331.
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 Surgeons the highest median salary at $338,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Surgeons 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 Surgeons 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 Surgeons earn approximately $143 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.
