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The differences between program developers and software development engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a program developer, becoming a software development engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software development engineer has an average salary of $109,147, which is higher than the $74,749 average annual salary of a program developer.
The top three skills for a program developer include development programs, community outreach and project management. The most important skills for a software development engineer are java, software development, and AWS.
| Program Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,749 | $109,147 |
| Hourly rate | $35.94 | $52.47 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 128,488 | 356,971 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A software developer is mostly responsible for the development, implementation, and design of new or modified software products or current business projects. They typically work within the IT department of a company and will be involved in coordinating with the business analysts and development managers to guarantee software projects meet standard requirements. They do complex tasks from testing to evaluating new program design, modification of existing programs, and subsequently developing these modifications. In addition, deploying software tools, maintaining and upgrading existing systems are also part of their responsibilities.
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.
Program developers and software development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,749 | $109,147 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $118,000 | Between $80,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a program developer and a software development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Program Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between program developers' and software development engineers' demographics:
| Program Developer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 66.3% 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 | 11% | 8% |