Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between associate software engineers and software developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate software engineer and a software developer. Additionally, a software developer has an average salary of $87,521, which is higher than the $78,981 average annual salary of an associate software engineer.
The top three skills for an associate software engineer include java, python and C++. The most important skills for a software developer are java, python, and C++.
| Associate Software Engineer | Software Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,981 | $87,521 |
| Hourly rate | $37.97 | $42.08 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 298,481 | 294,329 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An associate software engineer is an individual who is responsible for improving existing software or designing new application software. Working under the supervision of a senior software engineer and together with a team of engineering professionals, associate software engineers must be able to code software and ensure that it can run with different types of technology. They must have the technical knowledge and expertise of commanding programming languages such as JAVA, HTML, and CSS. Associate software engineers are also required to assist the QA team in testing the software before it is released to the customers.
A software developer is responsible for designing application systems to support the user and business' needs. Duties of a software developer include testing software codes, performing diagnostic programs and troubleshooting, interpreting system data and establishing efficient parameters, and ensuring the compatibility of the systems. A software developer must have an excellent knowledge of computer programs and programming languages to understand its complexities, especially on detecting system defects and malfunctions. A software developer must have strong attention to detail, communication, and decision-making skills to coordinate with the team and also work independently under minimal supervision.
Associate software engineers and software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Software Engineer | Software Developer | |
| Average salary | $78,981 | $87,521 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $102,000 | Between $67,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an associate software engineer and a software developer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Software Engineer | Software Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between associate software engineers' and software developers' demographics:
| Associate Software Engineer | Software Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 39.6% White, 43.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |