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The differences between configuration engineers and software engineers-consultant can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a configuration engineer and a software engineer-consultant. Additionally, a software engineer-consultant has an average salary of $113,987, which is higher than the $101,024 average annual salary of a configuration engineer.
The top three skills for a configuration engineer include python, unix and java. The most important skills for a software engineer-consultant are java, python, and architecture.
| Configuration Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $101,024 | $113,987 |
| Hourly rate | $48.57 | $54.80 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 202,945 | 317,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Configuration Engineer specializes in designing and developing computer systems and products. Among their responsibilities include understanding the company's needs, performing extensive research and analysis, coordinating with fellow engineers and experts, developing blueprints and prototypes, and creating test structures to be the basis for improvement. They may gather and analyze data from existing projects to identify their strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, as a configuration engineer, it is essential to monitor the progress of staff, all while implementing safety policies and standards.
A software engineer consultant develops and recommends strategies to optimize a company's software engineering operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to find new opportunities, performing software evaluations and risk assessments, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, and developing solutions against problem areas. Through the findings of their research, a software engineer consultant draws conclusions and recommendations that will help the company to reach their short and long-term goals and resolve issues or concerns.
Configuration engineers and software engineers-consultant have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Configuration Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Average salary | $101,024 | $113,987 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $132,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Foster City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Advent Software |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a configuration engineer and a software engineer-consultant in terms of educational background:
| Configuration Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between configuration engineers' and software engineers-consultant' demographics:
| Configuration Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |