Salary comparison
Industrial Engineer vs Software Engineer salary
Software Engineers out-earn industrial engineers by about $31,940 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 $101,140 for industrial engineers, a gap of about $31,940 (32%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Industrial Engineer
Verified$101,140
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $70,000
- Top 10%
- $157,140
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Software Engineer
Verified$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Software & Technology
Industrial Engineer vs Software Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileIndustrial Engineer | $70,000 |
| MedianIndustrial Engineer | $101,140 |
| 90th percentileIndustrial Engineer | $157,140 |
| 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).
Industrial Engineer
Software Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Industrial Engineer
- Alaska$142,980
- Louisiana$126,960
- Oregon$124,560
- California$123,070
- Wyoming$122,540
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 32% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick industrial engineer if…
Industrial engineers design efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, and information to make a product or service.
- ▹Industry (tech and aerospace pay above traditional manufacturing)
- ▹Lean/Six Sigma certifications
- ▹Years of 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
Industrial Engineer vs Software Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, industrial engineers or software engineers?
What is the salary range for industrial engineers vs software engineers?
Should I become a industrial engineer or a software engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2112 (Industrial Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →