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What does a Development Engineer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted Expert
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
What does a Development Engineer do

A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.

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Development engineer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real development engineer resumes:

  • Used RS.exe from command line to automate report execution, export to PDF and archive to FTP site.
  • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
  • Develop python code on Linux kernel (raspberry pi) for battery monitoring system.
  • Migrate an existing J2EE application to MVC framework.
  • Develop LINUX device driver for new real-time clock chip support.
  • Help in modifying shell scripts to convert from IBM AIX to Linux.
  • Used Rviz for robot output data visualization and for manual control & guidance.
  • Conduct DFMEA meetings with product, process, manufacturing, and quality engineers.
  • Used android intents feature to capture the images and videos to upload in the application.
  • Optimize the Cassandra cluster by making changes in Cassandra configuration file and Linux OS configurations.
  • Write and debug code used in prototypes, proof of concepts, and product API design.
  • Create designs to exact specifications by writing advance custom CSS stylesheets for both print and web.
  • Maintain and configure IIS 4.0 web servers' security/performance, SSL Keys/Certificates, FTP and SMTP services.
  • Support Java remote method invocation (RMI) components by providing enhancements, bug fixes and new features.
  • Script secure web forms using PHP and HTML to render dynamically generate PDF documents, suitable for print.

Development engineer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Development Engineers are proficient in Java, Python, and Software Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Math skills, and Mechanical skills.

We break down the percentage of Development Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Java, 17%

    Developed software in multiple programming languages including C and Java

  • Python, 9%

    Designed and developed a configuration management database using Python and MySQL to maintain and audit the everyday configuration changes.

  • Software Development, 5%

    Implemented Agile development process on Software Development Life Cycle and done with effort estimations using Fibonacci.

  • JavaScript, 5%

    Customized report interface using JavaScript.

  • Lifecycle Management, 4%

    Managed multiple programs' Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).

  • UI, 3%

    Designed and created complete web business applications for internal departments, including system architecture, front-end UI and back-end database functionality.

Most development engineers use their skills in "java," "python," and "software development" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential development engineer responsibilities here:

Listening skills. One of the key soft skills for a development engineer to have is listening skills. You can see how this relates to what development engineers do because "mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists." Additionally, a development engineer resume shows how development engineers use listening skills: "listened to system broadcasts and used adaptive refresh methods for updating the application list. "

Math skills. Many development engineer duties rely on math skills. "mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.," so a development engineer will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways development engineer responsibilities rely on math skills: "improved quality/cost ratios by creating mathematical models to determine effect of cost-cutting design/specification changes on product quality. "

Mechanical skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of development engineers is mechanical skills. This skill is critical to many everyday development engineer duties, as "mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide product design support related to mechanical components in regards to quality, documentation and production. "

Creativity. development engineer responsibilities often require "creativity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery." This resume example shows what development engineers do with creativity on a typical day: "resolved complex issues by creatively applying engineering fundamentals to product design. "

Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in development engineer job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what development engineers do. Development engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products." You can also see how development engineer duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "worked with several other teams to make this subsystem api available to areas of printer firmware outside of connectivity solutions. "

See the full list of development engineer skills

The three companies that hire the most development engineers are:

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Compare different development engineers

Development engineer vs. Mechanical design engineer

A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.

The annual salary of mechanical design engineers is $17,385 lower than the average salary of development engineers.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both development engineer and mechanical design engineer positions are skilled in project management, api, and cad.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, development engineer responsibilities require skills like "java," "python," "c #," and "software development." Meanwhile a typical mechanical design engineer has skills in areas such as "mechanical design," "creo," "engineering design," and "mechanical systems." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Mechanical design engineers tend to make the most money working in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $87,483. In contrast, development engineers make the biggest average salary, $105,648, in the technology industry.The education levels that mechanical design engineers earn slightly differ from development engineers. In particular, mechanical design engineers are 5.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a development engineer. Additionally, they're 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Development engineer vs. Packaging engineer

A Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.

Packaging engineer positions earn lower pay than development engineer roles. They earn a $4,754 lower salary than development engineers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both development engineers and packaging engineers have skills such as "project management," "cad," and "solidworks. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, development engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "java," "python," "c #," and "software development." Meanwhile, a packaging engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "astm," "package design," "ista," and "logistics." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Packaging engineers may earn a lower salary than development engineers, but packaging engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $100,934. On the other hand, development engineers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $105,648.In general, packaging engineers achieve lower levels of education than development engineers. They're 7.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Development Engineers in the next 3-5 years?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.Andrea Welker Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Virtual/augmented reality will play an increasingly important role in visualizing designs and interacting with them.

Development engineer vs. Process engineer

A Process Engineer is responsible for coming up with innovative ways to process particular raw materials into different kinds of products. They can also modify various existing machines or maintain their quality by monitoring its functions and conducting tests and examinations. A Process Engineer must do numerous analyses and research to gather data that would help determine possible improvements or decisions to uphold. Furthermore, A Process Engineer also has the task of procuring and installing new equipment, collecting and interpreting data, assessing risks, and ensuring that tasks are done safely.

An average process engineer eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of development engineers. The difference in salaries amounts to process engineers earning a $10,763 lower average salary than development engineers.By looking over several development engineers and process engineers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "java," "project management," and "debugging." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a development engineer is likely to be skilled in "python," "c #," "software development," and "javascript," while a typical process engineer is skilled in "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "troubleshoot," and "lean six sigma."

Process engineers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $87,797. Comparatively, development engineers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $105,648.process engineers typically earn similar educational levels compared to development engineers. Specifically, they're 4.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Development engineer vs. Mechanical engineer

Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.

Mechanical engineers typically earn lower pay than development engineers. On average, mechanical engineers earn a $17,854 lower salary per year.While their salaries may vary, development engineers and mechanical engineers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "project management," "api," and "cad. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "java," "python," "c #," and "software development" are skills that commonly show up on development engineer resumes. On the other hand, mechanical engineers use skills like mechanical systems, mechanical design, hvac, and plumbing on their resumes.The energy industry tends to pay the highest salaries for mechanical engineers, with average annual pay of $84,748. Comparatively, the highest development engineer annual salary comes from the technology industry.mechanical engineers reach lower levels of education compared to development engineers, in general. The difference is that they're 5.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of development engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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