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The differences between driver/technicians and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $38,110 average annual salary of a driver/technician.
The top three skills for a driver/technician include patients, DOT and CDL. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Driver/Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $38,110 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $18.32 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 78,422 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 36 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A driver/technician's responsibility mainly focuses on driving heavy equipment like forklifts and loaders while ensuring that the equipment is in good condition by doing systematic maintenance and repair. They also perform quality checks on new equipment to ensure they are in good condition and are safe to use. They recommend maintenance, repair, and replacements of machinery and equipment. They are also trained to monitor deliveries and evaluate staff for their performance.
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.
Driver/technicians and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver/Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $38,110 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $51,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Precision Drilling | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Government | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a driver/technician and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Driver/Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | - | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between driver/technicians' and software engineers' demographics:
| Driver/Technician | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 36 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |