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The differences between game engineers and software engineers lead can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a game engineer and a software engineer lead. Additionally, a software engineer lead has an average salary of $125,565, which is higher than the $104,976 average annual salary of a game engineer.
The top three skills for a game engineer include unity, python and game engine. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Game Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $104,976 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $50.47 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 242,571 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The main task of a game engineer is to design software programs for computer games. Game engineers develop gaming networks and programs for third-party-usage. They create the mechanics of the games, which are coordinated with a story. Also called specialized software engineers, they create coding sequences for gameplay. They may need to establish various codes for gaming devices. The skills they need include knowledge of gaming trends, teamwork skills, programming language proficiency, and creativity.
A Software Engineer Lead is focused on developing and testing software programs. They manage a team of software engineers that design enterprise software products and operating systems.
Game engineers and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $104,976 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $152,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a game engineer and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Game Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between game engineers' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Game Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.3% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |