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The differences between production support engineers and software systems 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 production support engineer, becoming a software systems engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software systems engineer has an average salary of $107,102, which is higher than the $78,599 average annual salary of a production support engineer.
The top three skills for a production support engineer include java, infrastructure and linux. The most important skills for a software systems engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Production Support Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,599 | $107,102 |
| Hourly rate | $37.79 | $51.49 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 194,203 | 370,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Product support engineers are in charge of managing the technical requests ordered by the customer. Their primary role is to repair and resolve errors, constantly register details for later reports, and update customers with the improvements. They help other engineers by enhancing processes and assisting in product development. Also, they provide recommendations for feature improvements and efficiency enhancement based on the customers' preference. These specialists are critical and analytical thinkers as well as technical experts. They are able to communicate well to customers while doing multiple tasks and pay attention to detail to track errors and record them.
A software systems engineer is responsible for designing and creating software systems applications and programs according to clients' specifications or business' needs. They work to improve the features of existing applications to boost efficiency and optimal performance. Software systems engineers manage systems configuration and structural development to develop high-quality outputs and deliverables. They also run multiple diagnostic tests to ensure smooth navigations and server transitions and identify efficient technical solutions. A software systems engineer assists the end-users with application issues, performing troubleshooting operations, and creating resolution reports for reference.
Production support engineers and software systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Support Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,599 | $107,102 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $107,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a production support engineer and a software systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Production Support Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between production support engineers' and software systems engineers' demographics:
| Production Support Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |