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The differences between software engineering specialists and software architects 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 engineering specialist and a software architect. Additionally, a software architect has an average salary of $114,406, which is higher than the $104,819 average annual salary of a software engineering specialist.
The top three skills for a software engineering specialist include java, software development and python. The most important skills for a software architect are java, architecture, and cloud.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $104,819 | $114,406 |
| Hourly rate | $50.39 | $55.00 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 260,865 | 319,594 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software engineering specialist designs and develops software engineering components. Moreover, they evaluate technical architecture and framework. They conduct tests on software and carry out any updates that are needed. Strong teamwork and communication skills are necessary for this position.
A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.
Software engineering specialists and software architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Architect | |
| Average salary | $104,819 | $114,406 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $133,000 | Between $82,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Aspiration |
| Best paying industry | Media | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a software engineering specialist and a software architect in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software engineering specialists' and software architects' demographics:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Architect | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |