SalaryData

Software Developer vs Financial Analyst Salary (2026)

Side-by-side salary comparison based on BLS OES data. Updated 2026.

Higher paying occupation

Software Developer

$121,352/yr median(+$27,089 · 28.7% more)

Higher pay

Software Developer

Median$121,352
Mean$127,085
10th %ile$74,572
25th %ile$94,378
75th %ile$151,381
90th %ile$178,009
Employed1.7M+

Financial Analyst

Median$94,263
Mean$106,489
10th %ile$60,884
25th %ile$74,088
75th %ile$119,953
90th %ile$160,817
Employed340K+

Salary Distribution Comparison

Software Developer

Software Developer salary percentiles
PercentileAnnual Salary
10th percentile$74,572
25th percentile$94,378
Median (50th percentile)$121,352
75th percentile$151,381
90th percentile$178,009

Financial Analyst

Financial Analyst salary percentiles
PercentileAnnual Salary
10th percentile$60,884
25th percentile$74,088
Median (50th percentile)$94,263
75th percentile$119,953
90th percentile$160,817

Top Paying States

Software Developer

#StateMedian
1California$170,910
2Washington$166,910
3New York$161,260
4Massachusetts$150,520
5Maryland$137,890

Financial Analyst

#StateMedian
1Wyoming$213,940
2New York$126,580
3California$111,100
4New Jersey$109,380
5Oregon$107,680

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pays more, Software Developer or Financial Analyst?
Software Developer pays more with a median salary of $121,352/year, which is 28.7% more than Financial Analyst at $94,263/year.
What is the salary difference between Software Developer and Financial Analyst?
The median salary difference is $27,089/year (28.7%).

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