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The differences between software engineers and software quality 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 engineer and a software quality engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $99,902 average annual salary of a software quality engineer.
The top three skills for a software engineer include java, python and software development. The most important skills for a software quality engineer are software quality, java, and python.
| Software Engineer | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,260 | $99,902 |
| Hourly rate | $48.20 | $48.03 |
| Growth rate | 21% | - |
| Number of jobs | 339,938 | 279,437 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
A Software Quality Engineer ensures that the software of a company meets all quality standards. They are responsible for software development, inspection, implementation, testing, and verification.
Software engineers and software quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineer | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,260 | $99,902 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $136,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software engineer and a software quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineer | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between software engineers' and software quality engineers' demographics:
| Software Engineer | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |