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The differences between software engineers-consultant and software developers 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 engineer-consultant and a software developer. Additionally, a software engineer-consultant has an average salary of $113,987, which is higher than the $87,521 average annual salary of a software developer.
The top three skills for a software engineer-consultant include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a software developer are java, python, and C++.
| Software Engineer-Consultant | Software Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $113,987 | $87,521 |
| Hourly rate | $54.80 | $42.08 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 317,033 | 294,329 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software engineer consultant develops and recommends strategies to optimize a company's software engineering operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to find new opportunities, performing software evaluations and risk assessments, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, and developing solutions against problem areas. Through the findings of their research, a software engineer consultant draws conclusions and recommendations that will help the company to reach their short and long-term goals and resolve issues or concerns.
A software developer is responsible for designing application systems to support the user and business' needs. Duties of a software developer include testing software codes, performing diagnostic programs and troubleshooting, interpreting system data and establishing efficient parameters, and ensuring the compatibility of the systems. A software developer must have an excellent knowledge of computer programs and programming languages to understand its complexities, especially on detecting system defects and malfunctions. A software developer must have strong attention to detail, communication, and decision-making skills to coordinate with the team and also work independently under minimal supervision.
Software engineers-consultant and software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineer-Consultant | Software Developer | |
| Average salary | $113,987 | $87,521 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $67,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Foster City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Advent Software | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software engineer-consultant and a software developer in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineer-Consultant | Software Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software engineers-consultant' and software developers' demographics:
| Software Engineer-Consultant | Software Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% |
| 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, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |