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Career comparison

High school teacher vs. Software engineer

Software engineers earn more: a median of $135,980, $63,940 (89%) above high school teachers at $72,040.

Software engineers have the stronger outlook: +10% projected growth through 2035, vs. 0%.

Getting in is faster for high school teachers: about 12 months vs. 16 months for someone with a bachelor's in another field.

High school teacherSoftware engineer
Median pay$72,040$135,980
Top 10% earn over$107,600$214,670
Growth to 20350%+10%
Openings per year63,50095,300
Jobs today1,087,5001,717,800
Typical entry educationBachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
Time to qualify*12 months16 months
Training cost*$5K–$25K$0–$21K

* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.

Pay

High school teacher

$72,04010% earn under $48,780 · middle half $59,980–$92,570 · top 10% over $107,600

Software engineer

$135,98010% earn under $82,460 · middle half $105,210–$171,980 · top 10% over $214,670
Bar: middle 50% of workers. Line: 10th to 90th percentile. Dot: median. BLS OEWS, May 2025, national.

Switching from one to the other

Set your education and current pay. The calculator lays out the path, what it costs, and the year it starts paying off.

High school teacherSoftware engineer

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Getting in

High school teacher

Entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
None
Prior experience
None

Required: Praxis subject exam · State teaching license

Software engineer

Entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
None
Prior experience
None

Required: No license; technical interviews are the gate

What the work is like

High school teacherSoftware engineer

Dealing with the public

Rarely
Constantly

Unpleasant or angry people

Rarely
Constantly

Time pressure

Rarely
Constantly

Cost of a mistake

Minor
Severe

Freedom to make decisions

Little
A lot

Repeating the same tasks

Rarely
Constantly

Time sitting

Rarely
Constantly

Time standing

Rarely
Constantly

Outdoors in all weather

Rarely
Constantly

Exposure to disease

Rarely
Constantly

High school teacher: 56% usually work over 40 hours a weekSoftware engineer: 8% usually work over 40 hours a week

Average worker ratings, 1 to 5. O*NET 31.0 work context survey.

High school teacher: core tasks

  • Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
  • Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
  • Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
  • Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.

Software engineer: core tasks

  • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
  • Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
  • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
  • Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.

Skills: what carries over

Both rely on: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Active Learning.

New for a high school teacher moving to software engineer: Programming, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, Technology Design, Systems Evaluation.

New for a software engineer moving to high school teacher: Instructing, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.

Interests (Holland codes): High school teacher: Social, Artistic, Conventional. Software engineer: Investigative, Conventional, Realistic.

Outlook to 2035, and AI

High school teacher

0%

little or no change · 63,500 openings a year

BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.

Software engineer

+10%

faster than average · 95,300 openings a year

BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.

Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.

Questions people ask

Who makes more, a high school teacher or a software engineer?

Software engineers earn more: a median of $135,980, $63,940 (89%) above high school teachers at $72,040.

Which has the better job outlook?

Software engineers have the stronger outlook: +10% projected growth through 2035, vs. 0%.

How long does it take to become a software engineer?

For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 16 months, with tuition of roughly $0 to $20,500. Required: No license; technical interviews are the gate.

How long does it take to become a high school teacher?

For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 12 months, with tuition of roughly $5,000 to $25,000. Required: Praxis subject exam, State teaching license.

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