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The differences between release engineers and systems engineers 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 a systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a release engineer has an average salary of $97,777, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a release engineer include GIT, python and jenkins. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Release Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,777 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $47.01 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 257,869 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Release engineers and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Release Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,777 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $130,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a release engineer and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Release Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between release engineers' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Release Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| 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, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |