Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between developer support engineers and software 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 engineer. Additionally, a developer support engineer has an average salary of $111,050, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a developer support engineer include java, C++ and python. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,050 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $53.39 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 393,440 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 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.
Developer support engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,050 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $145,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a developer support engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 engineers' demographics:
| Developer Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |