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The differences between development technicians 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 development technician and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $92,109 average annual salary of a development technician.
The top three skills for a development technician include java, C++ and C #. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Development Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,109 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $44.28 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 82,959 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A development technician is an individual who manages technology development for hardware used in the server systems of an organization. Development technicians are required to organize tasks and resources so that they can complete work and meet deadlines that are according to departmental procedures. They must train production personnel on the standard operating procedures for manufacturing equipment as well as train colleagues in standard operating procedures. Development technicians must also assist Java developers in characterizing and debugging technical problems.
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.
Development technicians and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Development Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,109 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $134,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a development technician and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Development Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between development technicians' and software engineers' demographics:
| Development Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% 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% |