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The differences between software specialists and database specialists 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 specialist and a database specialist. Additionally, a software specialist has an average salary of $84,009, which is higher than the $77,642 average annual salary of a database specialist.
The top three skills for a software specialist include C++, C # and database. The most important skills for a database specialist are database management, database design, and database administration.
| Software Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,009 | $77,642 |
| Hourly rate | $40.39 | $37.33 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 264,307 | 41,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Software Specialist designs and develops computer software and operating systems, establishing policies and protocols to ensure quality and data security. They function as a member of a company or an organization's information technology department. They also utilize their expertise by assessing and reviewing existing software, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against vulnerable areas. Most of the time, a software specialist directly communicates with clients to determine their software needs and preferences, regularly coordinating to ensure client satisfaction and smooth workflow.
A database specialist is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the databases to maintain the confidentiality of data. Database specialists determine business requirements and manage multiple operating systems to build the database's efficient structures and feasibility. They also install security protection software tools and programs to prevent unauthorized access and potential leak of restricted information. A database specialist coordinates with the system engineers to improve existing databases and upgrade the network infrastructure for optimization.
Software specialists and database specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,009 | $77,642 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $115,000 | Between $53,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | American Express | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software specialist and a database specialist in terms of educational background:
| Software Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software specialists' and database specialists' demographics:
| Software Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 17.8% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |