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The differences between software development engineers and software design 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 software development engineer and a software design engineer. Additionally, a software development engineer has an average salary of $109,147, which is higher than the $98,799 average annual salary of a software design engineer.
The top three skills for a software development engineer include java, software development and AWS. The most important skills for a software design engineer are software development, python, and software design.
| Software Development Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,147 | $98,799 |
| Hourly rate | $52.47 | $47.50 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 356,971 | 315,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A software design engineer or SDE is part of a software development enterprise. Software design engineers determine the problems or issues and figure out how to establish programs to ease and automate the situations. They fabricate style sheets for the management of the individual aspects of huge engineering projects. It is their job to develop strategies for hardware architecture and software engineering. They also handle and mentor engineering interns for professional guidance.
Software development engineers and software design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Development Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,147 | $98,799 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $147,000 | Between $74,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software development engineer and a software design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Development Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software development engineers' and software design engineers' demographics:
| Software Development Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |