Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between database developers and data 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 database developer and a data engineer. Additionally, a data engineer has an average salary of $109,675, which is higher than the $90,837 average annual salary of a database developer.
The top three skills for a database developer include ETL, C++ and java. The most important skills for a data engineer are python, java, and cloud.
| Database Developer | Data Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,837 | $109,675 |
| Hourly rate | $43.67 | $52.73 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 91,069 | 303,105 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A database developer specializes in designing and creating storage programs according to a client's needs. Their responsibilities revolve around meeting with clients to discuss their preferences and requirements, coordinating with other teams, identifying errors or inconsistencies by conducting regular maintenance tests, and monitoring its performance to ensure smooth workflow. A database developer may also respond to inquiries and concerns, provide corrective measures, produce instructional materials for the database users, and develop strategies to keep the data safe and secure.
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.
Database developers and data engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Database Developer | Data Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,837 | $109,675 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $118,000 | Between $80,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a database developer and a data engineer in terms of educational background:
| Database Developer | Data Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between database developers' and data engineers' demographics:
| Database Developer | Data Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% | Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 30.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |