Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between database developers and database 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 database engineer. Additionally, a database engineer has an average salary of $104,648, 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 database engineer are python, troubleshoot, and java.
| Database Developer | Database Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,837 | $104,648 |
| Hourly rate | $43.67 | $50.31 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 91,069 | 152,951 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| 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 database engineer is responsible for maintaining the security of an organization's network databases, preventing unauthorized access and activities, and upgrading data infrastructure. Database engineers manage the volume of stored data, ensuring that the information would not affect the traffic flow and navigation. They also design database according to business requirements and needs, conducting multiple quality checks before releasing the final outputs for high functionality. A database engineer must have excellent technical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of programming languages and database administration, to create efficient system networks.
Database developers and database engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Database Developer | Database Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,837 | $104,648 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $118,000 | Between $72,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a database developer and a database engineer in terms of educational background:
| Database Developer | Database Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between database developers' and database engineers' demographics:
| Database Developer | Database Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% | Male, 78.7% Female, 21.3% |
| 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, 7.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 22.8% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |