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The differences between bioinformatics engineers and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a bioinformatics engineer and a software engineer. Additionally, a bioinformatics engineer has an average salary of $104,575, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a bioinformatics engineer include python, next-generation sequencing and NGS. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Bioinformatics Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,575 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $50.28 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 125,410 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Bioinformatics engineers are professionals who use bioinformatics methodology and hypothesis to analyze biological data such as gene sequence and protein absorption. These engineers are required to distribute, formulate, and engineer the open-source application solutions so that they can facilitate the analysis and unified stem cell information management systems. They must ensure that information entered is accurate and correct while sustaining infrastructure for the maintenance of the sequencing information and other related data. Bioinformatics engineers must also apply an algorithm to recover and execute the exchange of vital information.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Bioinformatics engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bioinformatics Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,575 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $148,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a bioinformatics engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Bioinformatics Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Biostatistics | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between bioinformatics engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Bioinformatics Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 31.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |