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The differences between software support engineers and customer support engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a software support engineer, becoming a customer support engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a software support engineer has an average salary of $87,968, which is higher than the $82,674 average annual salary of a customer support engineer.
The top three skills for a software support engineer include java, software support and customer service. The most important skills for a customer support engineer are customer support, technical support, and customer service.
| Software Support Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,968 | $82,674 |
| Hourly rate | $42.29 | $39.75 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 364,072 | 138,641 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Working closely with a company's software development team, a software support engineer specializes in handling complex software issues and providing technical assistance to customers. Among their responsibilities include answering calls and correspondence, addressing problems and concerns, troubleshooting, providing step by step solutions, and referring clients to other services when necessary. Moreover, a software support engineer may also take part in software development procedures by creating test structures, identifying and eliminating bugs to ensure the quality and efficiency of software and applications.
A customer support engineer is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving their complaints regarding the technical products of the company. Customer support engineers handle escalated requests, determine technical solutions, and write resolution reports for reference. They also manage the installation and upgrades of network systems based on clients' specifications to ensure that their systems work with maximum performance. A customer support engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in recommending improvements to prevent system failures and minimize customers' complaints.
Software support engineers and customer support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Support Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,968 | $82,674 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $114,000 | Between $59,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software support engineer and a customer support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Support Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between software support engineers' and customer support engineers' demographics:
| Software Support Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |