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The differences between software engineering specialists 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 engineering specialist and a software quality engineer. Additionally, a software engineering specialist has an average salary of $104,819, which is higher than the $99,902 average annual salary of a software quality engineer.
The top three skills for a software engineering specialist include java, software development and python. The most important skills for a software quality engineer are software quality, java, and python.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,819 | $99,902 |
| Hourly rate | $50.39 | $48.03 |
| Growth rate | 21% | - |
| Number of jobs | 260,865 | 279,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| 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 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 engineering specialists and software quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,819 | $99,902 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $133,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| 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 quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | 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 engineering specialists' and software quality engineers' demographics:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% |
| 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, 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% |