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The differences between web programmers and software 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 web programmer and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $72,168 average annual salary of a web programmer.
The top three skills for a web programmer include javascript, HTML and database. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Web Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,168 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $34.70 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 13% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 104,212 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Also called web engineers or developers, web programmers create web applications. Their job focuses on the non-design factors of web development such as markup writing and coding. They design and come up with websites and take responsibility for their looks. It is their job to oversee the technical aspects of the websites including their capacity and performance. Sometimes, they need to show clients or employers a website prototype to better understand the finished product.
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.
Web programmers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Web Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,168 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $97,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bothell, WA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a web programmer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Web Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between web programmers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Web Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 15.8% White, 58.9% 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 | 9% | 8% |