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Up to 3 careers or trades side by side, on the numbers that decide between them.
Scroll the table sideways to reach every pathway.
| Pathway | Registered Nurse Career | Software Developer Career |
|---|---|---|
| Salary range | $65K – $110K | $70K – $130K |
| Median salary | $86,000 | $98,000 |
| Pay basis | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (illustrative) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (illustrative) |
| Time to qualify | 2–4 years | 1–4 years |
| Training | — | — |
| Pathway | — | — |
| Patient contact | — | — |
| Education | Associate degree | Bachelor's degree |
| College required | Yes | No |
| Apprenticeship route | No | No |
| Credentials | NCLEX-RN, State license | None required |
| Demand | Very high | Very high |
| Annual openings | 194,500 | 140,000 |
| Outlook | High (6% growth) | High (17% growth) |
| Where you work | On site | Remote |
| Overtime common | Yes | No |
| Path to ownership | Staff nurse → charge nurse → nurse practitioner or clinic ownership. | Senior engineer → staff/lead → consulting or founding a product company. |
| Next step |
For the original pathways, salary, outlook and training figures are illustrative and attributed on each pathway page. A production deployment sources these from BLS/O*NET and validated state datasets. As of Sep 14, 2026.