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The differences between programming engineers and planning engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a programming engineer, becoming a planning engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a planning engineer has an average salary of $82,521, 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 planning engineer are project management, infrastructure, and transmission planning.
| Programming Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,616 | $82,521 |
| Hourly rate | $38.76 | $39.67 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 92,726 | 56,792 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 planning engineer is in charge of developing plans and systems to organize and schedule project procedures, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities revolve around learning and understanding the extent of all operations, setting schedules and objectives, liaising with external parties such as vendors or distributors, and maintaining an active communication line with other departments. Furthermore, a planning engineer must monitor the progress of the workflow and the performance of the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Programming engineers and planning engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Programming Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,616 | $82,521 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $108,000 | Between $61,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a programming engineer and a planning engineer in terms of educational background:
| Programming Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between programming engineers' and planning engineers' demographics:
| Programming Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |