Find a Job You Really Want In
Computer science is an important and growing industry that provides services for companies all over the world. With that in mind, not all computer science positions are the same.
Therefore, if you’re a current or prospective computer science worker, you might be wondering what the difference is between software developers and software engineers. After all, even though the positions are similar, they have different education requirements and allow you to perform different tasks.
For example, a software developer might have a more creative and design-orientated approach, whereas a software engineer will spend most of their time building computer programs and applications.
Overall, to find out more about all of the important differences between software developers and software engineers, this article will dive into everything you need to know.
What Is a Software Developer?
None of the modern smartphone apps and websites we use every day would be possible without the mind of a software developer. These professionals are highly creative individuals who use their brainstorming power to design, develop and build desktop and mobile programs and applications.
Often, software developers will collaborate with clients to bring ideas to life and then implement them in software. However, even if they’re taking feedback from clients, the software developer is ultimately responsible for the entire development process. That puts a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.
When working, software developers will use a variety of source debuggers and visual development environments. These tools can be used to modify, write, and debug software. Additionally, software developers are responsible for writing code, as well as documenting and testing it.
What Requirements Do Software Developers Have?
Because programming and design are integral to a software developer’s role, you’ll need the proper education and qualifications to start your career.
Typically, a software developer will start their career path by pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree. Common relevant degrees include computer science, software development, or software engineering. This level of education is all you’ll need for an entry-level role, but many senior positions may require a Master’s degree.
Though, some prospective software developers may choose to opt out of a Bachelor’s degree in favor of taking online courses. However, we recommend online courses as an added way to hone your skills rather than as a replacement for formal education.
Overall, here are the main skills required to be a software developer:
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Integrated Development Environments (IDEs): It’s important for a software engineer to understand IDEs, as these software applications provide comprehensive facilities for them to work with. For example, an IDE will usually consist source code editor, build automation tools, and a debugger.
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Adaptability: The computer science industry is always changing, so software developers must always be on top of the latest technology. That means devoting a considerable amount of time and energy to building new skills and learning new programming languages.
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Data Structure and Algorithms: To build programs and applications, software developers must be masters of data structures and algorithms. This includes structures like an array, linked list, map, and set.
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Git and GitHub: Over half of all companies use either Git or GitHub source code management, making this skill essential for any prospective software developer. After all, these written commands are an essential building block for any program or application.
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Cloud Computing: As of 2022, 94% of enterprises are on the cloud. That means it’s vital for software developers to understand cloud computing, so they can work with their company’s systems.
What Is a Software Engineer?
Software engineers are professionals who use their engineering background to build, test, improve, and maintain software systems. This type of work can be complicated and requires someone with an analytical mind.
Problem-solving is key here, as the engineering principles are concerned with things like modularity, abstraction, the anticipation of change, generality, incremental development, consistency, and more.
Unsurprisingly, this career requires an exceptional understanding of programming, as well as a willingness to work on a large scale. Overall, software engineers are most successful when mathematical analysis and understanding of programming languages are applied to design and develop computer software.
In turn, the computer software that’s created is highly valuable for companies in need of software.
What Requirements Do Software Engineers Have?
Programming is also vital for the role of a software engineer, with the added emphasis on mathematical analysis. With that in mind, education is vital for honing these skills.
Usually, a software engineer will need at least a Bachelor’s level education to start their career. The most commonly pursued degree is in software engineering, but many professionals can start working with computer science, math, science, or engineering degrees.
Additionally, we recommend achieving specific certifications that can give you an edge on the job market. Some of the most common certifications for software engineers include:
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Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP)
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Certified Software Engineer
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C Certified Professional Programmer (CLP)
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C++ Certified Professional Programmer (CPP)
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AWS Certified Developer
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Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Of course, prospective software engineers can benefit from taking the same online courses software developers would take. Programs that can help you master programming languages as a great way to learn and grow in your field.
Overall, here are the main skills required to be a software engineer:
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Teamwork: software engineers often work in teams with other software engineers, scientists, and other company employees. Doing so makes creating and refining software much easier but also means that some level of interpersonal skills is important for the job.
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Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): OOP is a specific type of programming that focuses on “objects” that contain code rather than functions or logic. This type of coding is an essential skill for software engineers, as it allows them to access and modify an object’s data fields.
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Problem-Solving Skills: Building complex software programs and working with a team requires adept problem-solving skills. This is true whether they be interpersonal or mathematical skills.
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Database Architecture: This skill uses programming languages to design different types of software for companies. Of course, this is an essential skill for anyone looking to create software programs.
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Design Testing and Debugging: After the code is written, software engineers need to spend time testing and debugging it. This process seeks to match symptoms with causes so errors can be corrected.
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Agile and Scrum: These software development tools are essential skills because they create the framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex projects.
What Are Some Differences Between Software Developers and Software Engineers
There are a few crucial differences between software developers and software engineers that can help you determine which career you want to pursue. Here are those differences outlined:
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Salary and Job Outlook
Software developers and software engineers have different average salaries in the U.S., in part due to their skills and responsibilities. For example:
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Software Developer: The average Software Developer in the U.S. earns $94,000 per year ($45.40 per hour). Data Engineers in the 90th percentile can earn up to $122,000, while Data Engineers in the 10th percentile might earn only $73,000. Currently, this career has impressive job growth of 21%.
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Software Engineer: The average Software Engineer in the U.S. earns $95,000 per year ($45.98 per hour). Data Scientists in the 90th percentile can earn up to $129,000, while Data Scientists in the 10th percentile might earn only $70,000.
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow by at least 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities nationwide.
With this comparison in mind, these two jobs are actually remarkably similar. However, the biggest takeaways are that software engineers earn a slightly higher and have a more variable average salary. Software engineers in the bottom 10% of earners earn less on average than software developers in the bottom 10%, while software engineers in the top 90% earn more.
Growth-wise, both jobs are also very similar. But, the software engineering position currently offers around 100,000 more job opportunities.
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Teamwork
One of the biggest differences between software developers and software engineers is the level of teamwork required for each job. Besides working with clients, most of a software developer’s job can be completed on a solitary basis. This is because software developers have all the tools they need to effectively program on their own.
In stark contrast, most software engineers work in teams, as their programming and coding process is more complicated and prone to error. With that in mind, a team becomes essential for the testing and debugging process and helps move programs along with in a timely manner.
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Work Style and Job Goals
On a basic level, software developers and software engineers perform different tasks and have different job goals. Software engineers work with other engineers to build systems, while developers work alone to write a complete program.
More specifically, a software engineer works on a much larger scale to build software and solve issues for larger companies. The enormity of the task, combined with extensive teamwork, means that there isn’t much room for creative solutions.
On the other hand, software developers work on a more limited scale, typically for individual clients and businesses. This allows them to come up with more creative designs and solutions and make them a priority.
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Languages, Tools & Software
Both software developers and software engineers work with programming languages and other software tools, but usage can also vary between the two careers.
Being more analytical, software engineers work with more programming tools than the average software developer. For example, here is a comprehensive list of tools a software engineer might use:
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Compilers
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Source code generators
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Debuggers
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Text editors
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IDEs
In more detail, you can expect a software engineer to use Git, GitHub, IntelliJ IDEA, Stack Overflow, Jira, and many more tools.
While software developers use many of the same tools, the tools will be used for different reasons. Ultimately, a software developer is working to create web, mobile, and desktop applications, so they require more cosmetic tools and fewer coding tools. For example, a software developer might use:
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Linkers
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Compilers
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Code editors
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GUI designer
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Assemblers
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Debuggers
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Software Developer vs. Software Engineer FAQ
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Is a software engineer a developer?
In some cases, a software engineer can be considered a developer. While software engineers do operate on a larger scale than software developers, they’re still essentially creating new tools for software development. To some degree, that makes them developers.
However, the same cannot be said in reserve. Software developers cannot be considered engineers because they work with pre-existing tools instead of creating new tools.
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Do software developers write code?
Yes, software developers write code. Software developers use the tools available to them to outline and create the code for a program. This is a crucial part of the design, as it allows them to customize the program according to the client’s needs.
Of course, software engineers usually spend more time working with code than software developers, as their position involves working with a team to build, test, and debug programs.
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Who gets more salary, software engineer or software developer?
Software engineers earn a slightly higher salary than software developers. However, this is the difference, the average software engineer earns $95,000 per year, and the average software developer earns $94,000 per year. In other words, the average software engineer only earns 1.06% more.
With this comparison in mind, the salaries of these two jobs are actually remarkably similar. However, the biggest takeaways are that software engineers earn a slightly higher and have a more variable average salary. Software engineers in the bottom 10% of earners earn less on average than software developers in the bottom 10%, while software engineers in the top 90% earn more.
Final Thoughts
While software developers and software engineers are both experts in using their programming skills to create software, they are also different professionals with different specialties.
In general, software engineers are focused on building, testing, debugging, and maintaining the programs, while software developers use the tools that already exist to produce creative and tailored programs and applications.
In other words, software engineering aims to build and refine software from scratch, while software development aims to use what already exists to bring a vision to life.
Overall, you can have a successful IT career with a company whether you pursue a career as a software engineer or a software developer. Just keep in mind that the salary, level of teamwork, and daily tasks will be different depending on the career you choose.
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
