National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Veterinarians at $119,100/year. Software Engineers earn 10% more nationally. The gap is $13,170 per year — or $1,098 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Veterinarian
$119,100
national median/year
$9,925/mo • $57/hr
Annual salary gap
$13,170
Software Engineers earn 10% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $149,286.
Best states for Veterinarians
vs Software Engineers
Hawaii+$17,780
North Dakota+$13,780
Alaska+$11,780
Iowa+$9,780
Kentucky+$9,780
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Veterinarians
California+$20,220
Washington+$20,220
Colorado+$16,220
Massachusetts+$16,220
New York+$12,220
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $119,100 for Veterinarians — a difference of $13,170 per year or $1,098 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Veterinarians is $13,170 per year. Software Engineers earn 10% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $149,286.
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 Veterinarians the highest median salary at $148,100 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 Veterinarians 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 Veterinarians earn approximately $57 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.
