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The differences between developer support engineers and technical support engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a developer support engineer, becoming a technical support engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a developer support engineer has an average salary of $111,050, which is higher than the $85,716 average annual salary of a technical support engineer.
The top three skills for a developer support engineer include java, C++ and python. The most important skills for a technical support engineer are technical support, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Developer Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,050 | $85,716 |
| Hourly rate | $53.39 | $41.21 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 393,440 | 184,542 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Developer support engineers and technical support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,050 | $85,716 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $145,000 | Between $61,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a developer support engineer and a technical support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Developer Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between developer support engineers' and technical support engineers' demographics:
| Developer Support Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |