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The differences between firmware engineers and software design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a firmware engineer, becoming a software design engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software design engineer has an average salary of $98,799, which is higher than the $97,183 average annual salary of a firmware engineer.
The top three skills for a firmware engineer include python, C and C++. The most important skills for a software design engineer are software development, python, and software design.
| Firmware Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,183 | $98,799 |
| Hourly rate | $46.72 | $47.50 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 99,014 | 315,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
The job of firmware engineers focuses on the hardware from which the software runs. They play an important role in supporting the life cycle of products from its development to implementation. Their duties typically include testing the product properly and troubleshooting technical issues in collaboration with other engineering personnel, evaluating the performance of the system and ensuring that it adheres to the company's standards, and analyzing the design and needs of a system. Firmware engineers are also responsible for improvising the software as requested by clients.
A software design engineer or SDE is part of a software development enterprise. Software design engineers determine the problems or issues and figure out how to establish programs to ease and automate the situations. They fabricate style sheets for the management of the individual aspects of huge engineering projects. It is their job to develop strategies for hardware architecture and software engineering. They also handle and mentor engineering interns for professional guidance.
Firmware engineers and software design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Firmware Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,183 | $98,799 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $129,000 | Between $74,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a firmware engineer and a software design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Firmware Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between firmware engineers' and software design engineers' demographics:
| Firmware Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.6% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |