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The differences between design engineers and software 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 engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Design Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,134 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 138,173 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Design engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,134 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a design engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between design engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |