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The differences between junior software developers and software development 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 junior software developer and a software development engineer. Additionally, a software development engineer has an average salary of $109,147, which is higher than the $70,486 average annual salary of a junior software developer.
The top three skills for a junior software developer include java, C++ and javascript. The most important skills for a software development engineer are java, software development, and AWS.
| Junior Software Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,486 | $109,147 |
| Hourly rate | $33.89 | $52.47 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 281,121 | 356,971 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A junior software developer is an entry-level professional who assists the development manager and the team with all the aspects of software design and coding. With the use of their basic programming knowledge, junior software developers are required to learn the codebase and should improve their skills in coding. They must monitor the performance of the internal systems and work on fixing minor computer bugs. Junior software developers should also gather information from customers about the functionality of the program and report any issues to the development team.
A software development engineer is responsible for designing and developing software systems and applications based on clients' specifications and business needs. Software development engineers manage operating systems and analyze network codes to maintain the compatibility of the software applications and control systems. They also run diagnostic tests for every software structure to ensure smooth navigations and perform immediate troubleshooting for inconsistencies. A software development engineer must have a strong command of programming languages, as well as technological processes and analytical skills.
Junior software developers and software development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Software Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,486 | $109,147 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $90,000 | Between $80,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior software developer and a software development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Software Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between junior software developers' and software development engineers' demographics:
| Junior Software Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 32.7% White, 49.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |