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The differences between programming engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a programming engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a programming engineer has an average salary of $80,616, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a programming engineer include project management, C++ and program management. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Programming Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,616 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $38.76 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 92,726 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A programming engineer specializes in designing and developing programs and systems for various purposes. Their responsibilities revolve around meeting with clients to discuss their needs, coordinating with different professionals to establish networks, generating codes, and conducting tests and regular maintenance to ensure optimal quality. They must also address issues and concerns from clients, troubleshoot, and resolve any problems promptly. Should a programming engineer work for a company, there are instances where one must produce progress reports and create instructional materials for employees.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Programming engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Programming Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,616 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $108,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a programming engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Programming Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between programming engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Programming Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |