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Programming internship vs software engineer

The differences between programming interns and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a programming internship and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $31,896 average annual salary of a programming internship.

The top three skills for a programming internship include internship program, python and powerpoint. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.

Programming internship vs software engineer overview

Programming InternshipSoftware Engineer
Yearly salary$31,896$100,260
Hourly rate$15.33$48.20
Growth rate21%21%
Number of jobs49,839339,938
Job satisfaction-3.5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3939
Years of experience44

What does a programming internship do?

In programming internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to observe company practices and follow directions while exercising creativity in programming and computer development. Among the tasks may revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, craft and develop software or even hardware to support a client's programming needs, generate codes, and monitor systems for any issues or inconsistencies. Furthermore, it is crucial to maintain an active communication line and coordination, as most of the tasks will be in a team setting.

What does a software engineer do?

A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.

Programming internship vs software engineer salary

Programming interns and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Programming InternshipSoftware Engineer
Average salary$31,896$100,260
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $42,000Between $73,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CityShoreline, WASan Bruno, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyInland Empire Utilities AgencyThe Citadel
Best paying industryGovernmentStart-up

Differences between programming internship and software engineer education

There are a few differences between a programming internship and a software engineer in terms of educational background:

Programming InternshipSoftware Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorPsychologyComputer Science
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityHarvard University

Programming internship vs software engineer demographics

Here are the differences between programming interns' and software engineers' demographics:

Programming InternshipSoftware Engineer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 36.8% Female, 63.2%Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between programming internship and software engineer duties and responsibilities

Programming internship example responsibilities.

  • Develop PowerPoint presentation summarizing accomplishments and present to managers and team leads from both QinetiQ and NASA.
  • Recruit, manage and motivate volunteers in public education, professional education, service and rehabilitation and tobacco control programs.
  • Plan cultural group events for volunteers and creating and promoting events utilizing the Facebook page.
  • Monitor and update social media daily, provide compelling content, specifically Facebook.
  • Develop a PowerPoint presentation that would be used to solicit possible investors and stakeholders.
  • Investigate provider complaints to determine Medicaid contractor compliance with contracts, certification requirements, law, regulations, policies and procedures.
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Software engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage product releases, solve software bugs in a client/server environment, write UNIX shell scripts to manage development environments.
  • Manage responsive UI design, implementing complex, dynamic functionality.
  • Define continuous integration process and configure Jenkins build server to manage it.
  • Develop a python serial communication program to automate test procedures and verify proper operation.
  • Manage website/software/mobile applications by generating full scope requirements base upon PMI / SDLC guidance.
  • Contribute to implementing microservices used to manage entities and maintain a synchronize state between supplier and distributor.
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Programming internship vs software engineer skills

Common programming internship skills
  • Internship Program, 27%
  • Python, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • C++, 6%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
  • Professional Development, 4%
Common software engineer skills
  • Java, 15%
  • Python, 9%
  • Software Development, 6%
  • Database, 3%
  • GIT, 3%
  • Object Oriented Programming, 3%

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