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
2,291
open roles
Software Engineer
8,154
open roles
What the data shows
Software Engineer roles account for 78% of active listings between these two roles — 5,863 more open positions than Data Analyst right now.
Software Engineer commands a higher median salary — $135,668 vs $72,500 — a gap of roughly 87%. Both roles show meaningful upside at the 75th percentile.
Software Engineer skews more remote-friendly — 21% of listings offer remote work vs 11% for Data Analyst, a 10-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
$49,307
Median
$72,500
P75
$104,094
Software Engineer
P25
$82,241
Median
$135,668
P75
$180,337
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