Salary comparison
Electrical Engineer vs Software Engineer salary
Software Engineers out-earn electrical engineers by about $21,170 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 $111,910 for electrical engineers, a gap of about $21,170 (19%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Electrical Engineer
Verified$111,910
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $74,670
- Top 10%
- $175,460
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Software Engineer
Verified$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Software & Technology
Electrical Engineer vs Software Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileElectrical Engineer | $74,670 |
| MedianElectrical Engineer | $111,910 |
| 90th percentileElectrical Engineer | $175,460 |
| 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).
Electrical Engineer
Software Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Electrical Engineer
- New Mexico$143,850
- California$140,360
- District of Columbia$138,860
- New Hampshire$131,790
- Washington$130,730
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 19% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick electrical engineer if…
Electrical engineers design, develop, and test electrical equipment and systems, from power generation to electronics.
- ▹Industry (semiconductors and power vs. general manufacturing)
- ▹Years of experience and seniority
- ▹Specialization (power, RF, embedded, controls)
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
Electrical Engineer vs Software Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, electrical engineers or software engineers?
What is the salary range for electrical engineers vs software engineers?
Should I become a electrical engineer or a software engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2071 (Electrical Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →