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The differences between release engineers and engineering program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a release engineer, becoming an engineering program manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, an engineering program manager has an average salary of $122,604, which is higher than the $97,777 average annual salary of a release engineer.
The top three skills for a release engineer include GIT, python and jenkins. The most important skills for an engineering program manager are project management, program management, and software development.
| Release Engineer | Engineering Program Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $97,777 | $122,604 |
| Hourly rate | $47.01 | $58.94 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 257,869 | 148,543 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Release engineers are skilled professionals who ensure that all hardware and software components are correctly working together through the use of their knowledge in coding and programming languages. To make sure that products are configured and implemented successfully, these engineers are required to work with production members, software engineers, and quality assurance (QA) professionals. They must assess the quality and risk of the new products as well as troubleshoot any issues pertaining to the software's performance. Release engineers must also organize a release schedule for a software product by using data analysis and production progress reports.
As an engineering program manager in the world of technology, it is their main responsibility to lead the development of important modules of new technology such as display, camera, touch ID, etc. It is their job to ensure that modules are correctly built according to specifications and given timeline. They drive day-to-day engineering related activities at the vendor's factory to meet overall program ideas. They are knowledgeable of the hardware process development and other features like display or camera design.
Release engineers and engineering program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Release Engineer | Engineering Program Manager | |
| Average salary | $97,777 | $122,604 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $130,000 | Between $95,000 And $157,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a release engineer and an engineering program manager in terms of educational background:
| Release Engineer | Engineering Program Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between release engineers' and engineering program managers' demographics:
| Release Engineer | Engineering Program Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.0% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |