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The differences between programming engineers and quality 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 quality engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a programming engineer has an average salary of $80,616, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a programming engineer include project management, C++ and program management. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Programming Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,616 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $38.76 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 92,726 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Programming engineers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Programming Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,616 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $108,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| 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 quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Programming Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between programming engineers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Programming Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |