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The differences between consultant systems engineers and software systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a consultant systems engineer, becoming a software systems engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a consultant systems engineer has an average salary of $112,898, which is higher than the $107,102 average annual salary of a software systems engineer.
The top three skills for a consultant systems engineer include infrastructure, cloud and pre sales. The most important skills for a software systems engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Consultant Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,898 | $107,102 |
| Hourly rate | $54.28 | $51.49 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 144,261 | 370,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A consultant systems engineer specializes in designing and developing systems to optimize business operations, recommending solutions against problem areas. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data to identify the needs of operations, designing prototypes and test structures, performing research and analysis to determine the ideal practices, assessing existing systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and establishing guidelines. Moreover, a consultant systems engineer must maintain an active communication line with staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A software systems engineer is responsible for designing and creating software systems applications and programs according to clients' specifications or business' needs. They work to improve the features of existing applications to boost efficiency and optimal performance. Software systems engineers manage systems configuration and structural development to develop high-quality outputs and deliverables. They also run multiple diagnostic tests to ensure smooth navigations and server transitions and identify efficient technical solutions. A software systems engineer assists the end-users with application issues, performing troubleshooting operations, and creating resolution reports for reference.
Consultant systems engineers and software systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,898 | $107,102 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $141,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Fortinet | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a consultant systems engineer and a software systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Consultant Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between consultant systems engineers' and software systems engineers' demographics:
| Consultant Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 12.7% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |