Employees in the software publishing industry generally command higher earnings than the national average. All production or nonsupervisory workers in the industry averaged $1,258 a week in 2002, significantly higher than the average of $506 for all industries. This reflects the concentration of professionals and specialists who often are highly compensated for their skills or expertise. Given the pace at which technology advances in this industry, earnings can be driven by demand for specific skills or experience.
As one might expect, education and experience influence earnings as well. For example, annual earnings of computer software engineers ranged from less than $47,160 for the lowest 10 percent to more than $114,630 for the highest 10 percent in 2002. Managers usually earn more because they have been on the job longer and are more experienced than their staffs, but their salaries, too, can vary by level and experience. Accordingly, annual earnings of computer and information systems managers ranged from less than $62,380 for the lowest 10 percent to more than $145,600 for the highest 10 percent in 2002. Earnings also may be affected by size, location, and type of establishment, hours and responsibilities of the employee, and level of sales.