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The differences between junior software developers 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 junior software developer and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Junior Software Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,486 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $33.89 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 281,121 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 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.
Junior software developers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Software Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,486 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $90,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a junior software developer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Software Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between junior software developers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Junior Software Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% 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% |