Insight
Where Nursing Pay Actually Beats Software Engineering Pay
In several states and specialties, an experienced RN out-earns a mid-level software engineer. The dataset shows exactly where that line falls.
The cultural assumption is that software pays more than nursing, full stop. The data tells a more interesting story. In high cost-of-living states with strong union nursing contracts, an experienced RN — especially in critical-care specialties — can out-earn a mid-level software engineer at a non-FAANG company.
The pay structure is different
Software pay is heavily back-loaded: a senior at big tech can clear $400K with equity, but a mid-level at a B2B SaaS company in Phoenix might be at $130K. Nursing pay is more compressed but with very real differentials — shift differentials, overtime that pays time-and-a-half or double, hazard pay, and union-negotiated base rates.
Where nursing wins
In California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and parts of the Northeast, an experienced ICU or OR nurse working union hours with regular overtime can comfortably clear $150-180K total comp. A non-FAANG software engineer with 4-6 years of experience in those same states is often in the $130-160K range.
Where software still wins
In tech-dense markets (Bay Area, Seattle, NYC) at companies that pay top-of-market equity, software wins clearly. In low cost-of-living states without strong nursing unions, software wins again.
The dataset has both roles. Search for "registered nurse" and "software engineer" in your state. If the slice has enough submissions, you'll see the actual median for each.