Data Analyst vs Software Engineer
Data Analysts and Software Engineers share a foundation in problem-solving with data, but sit in very different parts of the hiring market. Analysts focus on querying, reporting and business intelligence. Engineers focus on building and scaling software systems. This page shows exactly how the two roles compare on pay, skill demand and hiring volume right now.
Data Analyst
947
open roles
Software Engineer
4,068
open roles
What the data shows
Software Engineer roles account for 81% of active listings between these two roles — 3,121 more open positions than Data Analyst right now.
Software Engineer commands a higher median salary — $134,120 vs $70,929 — a gap of roughly 89%. Both roles show meaningful upside at the 75th percentile.
Software Engineer skews more remote-friendly — 20% of listings offer remote work vs 11% for Data Analyst, a 9-point difference.
Software Engineer skews more senior — 58% of its listings target senior-level candidates, reflecting the depth of specialization the role demands.
Salary comparison
Data Analyst
P25
$47,163
Median
$70,929
P75
$106,178
Software Engineer
P25
$90,000
Median
$134,120
P75
$187,000
Salary estimates derived from active listings that include explicit pay ranges. Midpoint of stated range used to compute percentiles.
Shared skills
These skills appear in the top 12 for both roles — useful if you're considering a transition or working across both areas.
Data from active job listings · Updated hourly