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The differences between data engineers and software engineers lead can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a data engineer and a software engineer lead. Additionally, a software engineer lead has an average salary of $125,565, which is higher than the $109,675 average annual salary of a data engineer.
The top three skills for a data engineer include python, java and cloud. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Data Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $109,675 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $52.73 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 303,105 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A data engineer is someone who makes data science possible. This IT job requires the search for data set trends and algorithm development to make raw data more beneficial to the enterprise. Data engineers are responsible for establishing and maintaining an environment that permits other data functions. The necessary skills for the job include in-depth knowledge of multiple programming languages and SQL database design. Among the other skills data engineers should develop include data warehousing and architecture, data mining and modeling, and statistical regression analysis.
A Software Engineer Lead is focused on developing and testing software programs. They manage a team of software engineers that design enterprise software products and operating systems.
Data engineers and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $109,675 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $149,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a data engineer and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Data Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between data engineers' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Data Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 30.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |