Side-by-side distribution
Python
$150,420
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 15.6%
- Live roles
- 1,238
SQL
$112,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 29.6%
- Live roles
- 108
Highest-paying jobs
Python Engineer, AI Code Reviewer
Senior Software Engineer - Python
Staff Software Engineer, AI Code Review - Python, Go, Rust, C#
Senior Software Engineer, Code Quality for AI Training (Python)
Python - Senior Backend Engineer, AI Coding Agent Quality
Software Engineer (C++ or Python) – 2027 Grads
GenAI Python Systems Engineer –Senior Manager
Senior Software Engineer, Treasury and Reference Data (Java/Ruby/Python)
Software Engineer (Go, Python, TS)
Middle/Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (Python, AI)
Highest-paying jobs
Database Administrator PL/SQL Developer
Senior Mainframe Developer – IMS Database & zOS
Distinguished Systems Developer - SQL Engine
SQL Server Database Senior Developer, Vice President
PL/SQL Developer
PostGres/SQL Database Developer
Sr. Oracle 19c SQL Developer/DBA - Windows 2019/2022 Platform/Analytics
Principal Software Developer - Query Engine, Database Internals - Elasticsearch
Senior Lead Software Developer Database | Acushnet Company
Senior Database Developer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Mindrift
|
$83,200 | 32 |
Captivation Software
|
$200,000 | 30 |
Travelers
|
$144,750 | 7 |
Bank of America
|
$141,400 | 6 |
|
G2i Inc.
|
$312,000 | 5 |
|
Leidos
|
$151,475 | 5 |
PNC
|
$112,500 | 5 |
Northbeam
|
$185,000 | 4 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Amentum
|
$110,000 | 3 |
GDIT
|
$95,300 | 3 |
|
Elastic
|
$131,221 | 2 |
|
Dev Technology
|
$121,250 | 2 |
|
MUFG
|
$176,000 | 1 |
|
InterSystems
|
$174,500 | 1 |
|
Intel
|
$172,445 | 1 |
| US USAA | $166,055 | 1 |
Python salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | $239,200 | 3 |
| Boston | $169,750 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $162,100 | 4 |
| New York | $153,200 | 16 |
| San Francisco | $150,750 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $147,500 | 6 |
| Chicago | $147,500 | 14 |
| Seattle | $139,500 | 3 |
| Austin | $139,500 | 7 |
| Denver | $115,000 | 5 |
SQL salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $105,550 | 3 |
Python vs SQL: which pays more?
The median for Python is $150,420 per year (typically $116,800–$200,000), versus $112,500 for SQL ($91,525–$141,558). That puts Python about 34% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Python and SQL are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.