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The differences between developer support engineers and software development 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 developer support engineer and a software development engineer. Additionally, a developer support engineer has an average salary of $111,050, which is higher than the $109,147 average annual salary of a software development engineer.
The top three skills for a developer support engineer include java, C++ and python. The most important skills for a software development engineer are java, software development, and AWS.
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,050 | $109,147 |
| Hourly rate | $53.39 | $52.47 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 393,440 | 356,971 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
A software development engineer is responsible for designing and developing software systems and applications based on clients' specifications and business needs. Software development engineers manage operating systems and analyze network codes to maintain the compatibility of the software applications and control systems. They also run diagnostic tests for every software structure to ensure smooth navigations and perform immediate troubleshooting for inconsistencies. A software development engineer must have a strong command of programming languages, as well as technological processes and analytical skills.
Developer support engineers and software development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,050 | $109,147 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $145,000 | Between $80,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a developer support engineer and a software development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between developer support engineers' and software development engineers' demographics:
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 32.7% White, 49.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |