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The differences between programming engineers and development 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 development engineer. Additionally, a development engineer has an average salary of $93,206, which is higher than the $80,616 average annual salary of a programming engineer.
The top three skills for a programming engineer include project management, C++ and program management. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Programming Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,616 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $38.76 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 92,726 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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 Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Programming engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Programming Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,616 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $108,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a programming engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Programming Engineer | Development 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 development engineers' demographics:
| Programming Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |