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The differences between firmware engineers and software 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 engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Firmware Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,183 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $46.72 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 99,014 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 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.
Firmware engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Firmware Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,183 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $129,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a firmware engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Firmware Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between firmware engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Firmware Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% 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% |