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The differences between release engineers and software development 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 release engineer and a software development engineer. Additionally, a software development engineer has an average salary of $109,147, 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 a software development engineer are java, software development, and AWS.
| Release Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,777 | $109,147 |
| Hourly rate | $47.01 | $52.47 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 257,869 | 356,971 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
A software development engineer is responsible for designing and developing software systems and applications based on clients' specifications and business needs. Software development engineers manage operating systems and analyze network codes to maintain the compatibility of the software applications and control systems. They also run diagnostic tests for every software structure to ensure smooth navigations and perform immediate troubleshooting for inconsistencies. A software development engineer must have a strong command of programming languages, as well as technological processes and analytical skills.
Release engineers and software development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Release Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,777 | $109,147 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $130,000 | Between $80,000 And $147,000 |
| 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 a software development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Release Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between release engineers' and software development engineers' demographics:
| Release Engineer | Software Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 32.7% White, 49.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |