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The differences between hardware development engineers and development 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 hardware development engineer, becoming a development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a hardware development engineer has an average salary of $119,370, which is higher than the $93,206 average annual salary of a development engineer.
The top three skills for a hardware development engineer include hardware development, analog and PCB. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Hardware Development Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $119,370 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $57.39 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 100,593 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A hardware development engineer carries out an analysis of the requirements of a needed product and tries to develop a prototype, taking into consideration the cost and specifications. You're also expected to work on already existing products and seek ways to modify them. You will be in charge of your team members and oversee all they do. Some of the hardware you may be required to design and test includes microprocessors, routers, keyboards, circuit boards, etc.
A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Hardware development engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Development Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $119,370 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $161,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a hardware development engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Development Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between hardware development engineers' and development engineers' demographics:
| Hardware Development Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 29.7% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |