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The differences between design engineers and software design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a design engineer, becoming a software design engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software design engineer has an average salary of $98,799, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a design engineer include C++, UL and project management. The most important skills for a software design engineer are software development, python, and software design.
| Design Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,134 | $98,799 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $47.50 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 138,173 | 315,080 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
A software design engineer or SDE is part of a software development enterprise. Software design engineers determine the problems or issues and figure out how to establish programs to ease and automate the situations. They fabricate style sheets for the management of the individual aspects of huge engineering projects. It is their job to develop strategies for hardware architecture and software engineering. They also handle and mentor engineering interns for professional guidance.
Design engineers and software design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,134 | $98,799 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $74,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design engineer and a software design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between design engineers' and software design engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |