Software Engineer vs Data Scientist — Salary Comparison
202620 U.S. markets · May 2026 · BLS OES data
VS
Difference
$12,000
10% higher
Winner
Software Engineer
25th Percentile
$98,000$88,000
SoftwareData
Median (50th)
$130,000$118,000
SoftwareData
75th Percentile
$165,000$155,000
SoftwareData
90th Percentile
$210,000$200,000
SoftwareData
Market by Market — Who Pays More?
Software Engineer: 30 cities · Data Scientist: 0 cities| Market | Software Engineer | Data Scientist | Difference | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $190,000 | $170,000 | $20,000 | Software |
| New York, NY | $175,000 | $160,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Los Angeles, CA | $170,000 | $155,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Seattle, WA | $165,000 | $150,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Washington DC, DC | $160,000 | $145,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Boston, MA | $155,000 | $140,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| San Diego, CA | $155,000 | $140,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Sacramento, CA | $150,000 | $135,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Portland, OR | $145,000 | $130,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Chicago, IL | $140,000 | $125,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Baltimore, MD | $135,000 | $120,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Philadelphia, PA | $135,000 | $125,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Austin, TX | $135,000 | $125,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Denver, CO | $135,000 | $125,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Miami, FL | $135,000 | $125,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Las Vegas, NV | $130,000 | $120,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Dallas, TX | $125,000 | $115,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Houston, TX | $125,000 | $115,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Minneapolis, MN | $125,000 | $115,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Atlanta, GA | $125,000 | $110,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $125,000 | $110,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Tampa, FL | $120,000 | $110,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Phoenix, AZ | $120,000 | $110,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Nashville, TN | $120,000 | $110,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Charlotte, NC | $120,000 | $105,000 | $15,000 | Software |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $115,000 | $105,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Raleigh, NC | $115,000 | $105,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Kansas City, MO | $115,000 | $105,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Columbus, OH | $115,000 | $105,000 | $10,000 | Software |
| Detroit, MI | $115,000 | $105,000 | $10,000 | Software |