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The differences between developer support engineers and project developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a developer support engineer and a project developer. Additionally, a developer support engineer has an average salary of $111,050, which is higher than the $89,766 average annual salary of a project developer.
The top three skills for a developer support engineer include java, C++ and python. The most important skills for a project developer are project development, renewable energy, and project management.
| Developer Support Engineer | Project Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,050 | $89,766 |
| Hourly rate | $53.39 | $43.16 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 393,440 | 303,850 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
In the information technology industry, a developer support engineer focuses on assisting developers by designing and solutions according to the projects' needs. Their responsibilities often include developing software and hardware, installing and configuring systems, creating test structures, reviewing specifications, gathering and analyzing data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, a developer support engineer must maintain an active communication line with development teams for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Project developers research aspects of each project to check that it follows all regulations and to complete the project on time and under the budget. They are responsible for overseeing various projects for their companies. They staff the project and make necessary purchases. Staffing could include hiring contractors and hiring new employees for the company. Their tasks are to report and resolve issues blocking work on project elements, develop project timeline and milestones with mitigation planning, and establish critical requirements of a project through stakeholder assessment.
Developer support engineers and project developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer Support Engineer | Project Developer | |
| Average salary | $111,050 | $89,766 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $145,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a developer support engineer and a project developer in terms of educational background:
| Developer Support Engineer | Project Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between developer support engineers' and project developers' demographics:
| Developer Support Engineer | Project Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 8% |