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The differences between firmware test engineers 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 firmware test engineer and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $84,319 average annual salary of a firmware test engineer.
The top three skills for a firmware test engineer include python, firmware and test automation. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Firmware Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,319 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $40.54 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 25,699 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Firmware engineers are technical experts who work on programming various devices. They have extensive knowledge of coding and software development. Firmware engineers must understand several programming languages, with the specifics depending on their industry. Designing code and testing proper functionality are additional job responsibilities.
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 test engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Firmware Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,319 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $114,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a firmware test engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Firmware Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between firmware test engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Firmware Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 11% | 8% |