Salary comparison
Engineering Manager vs Software Engineer salary
Engineering Managers out-earn software engineers by about $34,660 at the median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown — pay range, top states, and experience.
Engineering Managers earn more — a median of $167,740 versus $133,080 for software engineers, a gap of about $34,660 (26%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Engineering Manager
Verified$167,740
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $111,450
- Top 10%
- $239,200
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Software Engineer
Verified$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Software & Technology
Engineering Manager vs Software Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileEngineering Manager | $111,450 |
| MedianEngineering Manager | $167,740 |
| 90th percentileEngineering Manager | $239,200 |
| 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).
Engineering Manager
Software Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Engineering Manager
- New Mexico$215,730
- California$201,810
- Washington$181,080
- Massachusetts$178,800
- District of Columbia$176,950
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, engineering managers earn about 26% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick engineering manager if…
Engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architecture and engineering, leading teams and owning technical delivery.
- ▹Team size and scope of responsibility
- ▹Industry (tech and oil & gas pay above average)
- ▹Years of management experience
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
Engineering Manager vs Software Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, engineering managers or software engineers?
What is the salary range for engineering managers vs software engineers?
Should I become a engineering manager or a software engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 11-9041 (Architectural and Engineering Managers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →