Salary comparison
Biomedical Engineer vs Software Engineer salary
Software Engineers out-earn biomedical engineers by about $26,130 at the median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown — pay range, top states, and experience.
Software Engineers earn more — a median of $133,080 versus $106,950 for biomedical engineers, a gap of about $26,130 (24%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Biomedical Engineer
Verified$106,950
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $71,860
- Top 10%
- $165,060
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Software Engineer
Verified$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Software & Technology
Biomedical Engineer vs Software Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileBiomedical Engineer | $71,860 |
| MedianBiomedical Engineer | $106,950 |
| 90th percentileBiomedical Engineer | $165,060 |
| 10th percentileSoftware Engineer | $79,850 |
| MedianSoftware Engineer | $133,080 |
| 90th percentileSoftware Engineer | $211,450 |
Pay by experience
Modeled progression from entry to principal level for each role (estimated from the national percentile curve).
Biomedical Engineer
Software Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Biomedical Engineer
- Wisconsin$129,440
- Oregon$129,020
- California$125,700
- Washington$125,010
- Minnesota$124,760
Software Engineer
- California$170,910
- Washington$166,910
- New York$161,260
- Massachusetts$150,520
- Maryland$137,890
Which should you choose?
On pay alone, software engineers earn about 24% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick biomedical engineer if…
Biomedical engineers design medical devices, equipment, and software that combine engineering with biology and medicine.
- ▹Medical device vs. research vs. clinical setting
- ▹Regulatory (FDA) experience
- ▹Advanced degrees
Pick software engineer if…
Software engineers design, build, and maintain the software systems, applications, and services that companies run on — from web and mobile apps to backend infrastructure.
- ▹Years of experience and seniority (junior → staff/principal)
- ▹Company type (Big Tech and trading firms pay well above median)
- ▹Equity and bonus, which can exceed base pay at senior levels
Biomedical Engineer vs Software Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, biomedical engineers or software engineers?
What is the salary range for biomedical engineers vs software engineers?
Should I become a biomedical engineer or a software engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2031 (Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →