Software developers vs Data scientists Salary Comparison

Students, career changers, and hiring managers often ask whether Software developers and programmers or Data scientists pays more on a nationally representative benchmark. This page anchors that question to Job Bank / StatCan 2023–2024 national medians — half of workers earn more, half earn less — then layers 2026 paycheck math so you see take-home, not just gross.

Software developers and programmers leads on gross median by $4,014 per year. That is roughly $1.93 per hour on a standard 2,080-hour schedule — before you factor training time, licensing, or non-wage benefits.

Use the scoreboard for medians and ranks, the province ladder for take-home in Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, then open each occupation profile for Job Bank source links and calculator deep links.

Most Job Bank medians are employer-reported Labour Force Survey cash wages. Physician specialty rows use CIHI/CMA annual professional income, and some heavily self-employed occupations use Census annual figures. They do not add RSU vests, many bonuses, or overtime premiums beyond what the published row already captures.

Software developers (NOC 21232) and Data scientists (NOC 21211) can look closer or farther apart in a specific metro than on this national line — especially tech and healthcare roles with shift or equity pay.

When an offer exceeds the median, model it in the Canada paycheck calculator. When you need city context, pair this page with metro paycheck examples Canada or the relocation salary calculator.

At Software developers's median ($100,006), modeled effective employee levy rates run 27.1% in Alberta and 31.9% in Quebec. At Data scientists's median ($95,992): 27.0% (AB) and 31.7% (QC).

Alberta typically shows lower combined provincial tax in our reference set. Quebec and Ontario show how provincial brackets compress net pay even when gross medians favor the higher-paying occupation.

These are single-filer vignettes with the basic personal amount — not a forecast of your T4 withholding or year-end refund.

Education debt, licensing exams, night shifts, union steps, and equity refresh cycles can invert a simple median ranking over a full career.

Healthcare pairs often compare years of training (physicians vs nurse practitioners). Tech pairs compare equity-heavy total comp against cash-wage medians.

Use the career path simulator when you need promotion, job-hop, or RSU scenarios above the published median — still after tax, still engine-backed.

Software developers ranks #19 of 61 tracked occupations; Data scientists ranks #22.

The $4,014 gap is 4% relative to Data scientists's median — use hourly equivalents when comparing to part-time or contract offers.

Featured corridors on the hub (software vs nursing, lawyers vs accountants) exist because search volume clusters there — your pair may still be valid even when ranks are far apart.

Open the Software developers and Data scientists profiles for Job Bank source links, percentile tables when published, and calculator deep links prefilled at each median.

If relocation is involved, stack metro paycheck examples Canada and effective tax rate by province on top of this occupation comparison — gross median alone does not price rent or commute.

When an offer exceeds either median, model it in the Canada paycheck calculator with your filing status and pre-tax deductions.