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The differences between software engineering specialists 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 engineering specialist and a software design engineer. Additionally, a software engineering specialist has an average salary of $104,819, which is higher than the $98,799 average annual salary of a software design engineer.
The top three skills for a software engineering specialist include java, software development and python. The most important skills for a software design engineer are software development, python, and software design.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,819 | $98,799 |
| Hourly rate | $50.39 | $47.50 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 260,865 | 315,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 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 engineering specialists and software design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,819 | $98,799 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $133,000 | 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 | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software engineering specialist and a software design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software engineering specialists' and software design engineers' demographics:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| 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, 4.5% 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% |