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The differences between technical support engineers and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical support engineer, becoming a software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $85,716 average annual salary of a technical support engineer.
The top three skills for a technical support engineer include technical support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Technical Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,716 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 184,542 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Technical support engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,716 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a technical support engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between technical support engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Technical Support Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |