National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Welders at $47,990/year. Software Engineers earn 64% more nationally. The gap is $84,280 per year — or $7,023 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Welder
$47,990
national median/year
$3,999/mo • $23/hr
Annual salary gap
$84,280
Software Engineers earn 64% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $955,339.
Best states for Welders
vs Software Engineers
North Dakota+$-27,330
Wyoming+$-35,330
West Virginia+$-37,330
Louisiana+$-39,330
South Dakota+$-39,330
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Welders
California+$111,330
Washington+$97,330
Massachusetts+$91,330
New York+$89,330
Colorado+$87,330
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Software Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $47,990 for Welders — a difference of $84,280 per year or $7,023 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Welders is $84,280 per year. Software Engineers earn 64% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $955,339.
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, Alaska pays Welders the highest median salary at $66,990 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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 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 Welders earn approximately $23 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.
