Software Engineering Degree in Medford, OR — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Medford, OR. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$98K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$142K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.7 yrs
in Medford
Cost of Living
111
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Medford, OR Overview
While Medford has a smaller college scene with 4 institutions, Software Engineering students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $14,881/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Medford is approximately $97,680.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
4
Public Tuition
$10,326/yr
Private Tuition
$41,865/yr
Room & Board
$14,881/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,464/yr
Unemployment
3.6%
Graduation Rate
67%
Software Engineering Salary in Medford (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Medford's cost of living index of 111 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Medford adjustment factor: 1.11x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Medford
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Medford tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,326 | Private avg: $41,865
Medford avg aid: $14,464/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$100,828
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$58,830
vs HS diploma in Medford
ROI Payback Period
1.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Medford
$1,208,972
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,309,800) minus total education cost ($100,828)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Medford
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Medford for Software Engineering
Southern Oregon University
public
$10,326/yr
$41,304 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Rogue Community College
$4,536/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Medford
Medford offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Medford Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby Oregon Cities
Portland, OR
$99K starting · COL 112
24 colleges
Eugene, OR
$114K starting · COL 130
14 colleges
Salem, OR
$106K starting · COL 120
14 colleges
Gresham, OR
$97K starting · COL 110.2
5 colleges
Hillsboro, OR
$102K starting · COL 115.5
5 colleges
Bend, OR
$94K starting · COL 107
2 colleges
Beaverton, OR
$93K starting · COL 105.9
4 colleges
Springfield, OR
$106K starting · COL 120.3
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Medford
Prompt Engineering
$56K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$105K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$94K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$91K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$56K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Medford — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Software Engineering ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Medford.