A Detailed Comparison between Software Engineer and Software Developer

Published in

Savvycom

8 min readMar 11, 2021

Ever thought Software Engineer and Software Developer are the same? If your answer is YES, then you might be WRONG, theoretically. The truth is, engineers and developers are so clearly distinct in term of their job requirements and experiences. So what is the difference between software engineer and software developer? You’re in the right place and reading the right guide!

What you can learn from this article?

What is Software Engineer and Software Developer? How is the market demand for these professions?
Explain the similarities and differences between the two terms.
How to choose which job suits you?

Now, before moving on to the next part, we should define them accurately.

1. Definition of Software Engineer and Software Development

Although Software Engineer and Software Developer are sometimes used interchangeably, they are actually quite distinct.

1.1. What is a Software Engineer?

“Software engineering is a field of engineering, for designing and writing programs for computers or other electronic devices. A software engineer, or programmer, writes software (or changes existing software) and compiles software using methods that improve it. Better quality software is easier to use. Better documentation helps other people understand and maintain it and add new features. Becoming a software engineer requires experience and practice writing code. Software engineering may be very difficult work. It may be repeated during the software release life cycle.” Wikipedia

Without a doubt, a software engineer’s job is not limited to solely coding, but he is also the one who knows about engineering, why and how it is related to software creation, and then applies engineering principles to software design.

1.2. What is a Software Developer?

“A software developer is a company or person that creates software — either completely, or with other companies or people. The phrase ‘software development’ often means more than just designing or writing the software, it usually means someone who manages the project, or does only the main things. Most software developers are still led by a lead programmer (a software engineer that guides the project).” — Wikipedia

Software developers write codes most of the time as coders or programmers do. They also are generalists who can work on a variety of other tasks in the software development process. With a variety of systems and coding languages, they can put all those things together to fulfil all the requirements.

1.3. Prospective demand for Software Developers and Software Engineers

Demand for both software developers and software engineers is on the rise. A survey conducted by leading job portal Hired revealed the nine most sought-after engineering jobs in the US, with the year-over-year increase in demand ranging from 4 per-cent to a mind-blowing 517 per-cent.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of software developers is predicted to grow 24 per cent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Although the BLS does not make any distinction between software developers and software engineers, it does draw a line between software developers and computer programmers, projecting that the demand for the latter will decline 7 per cent over the same period of 2016–2026.

Software professionals with specialised, comprehensive knowledge are expected to relish brighter job prospects than those whose expertise is limited to programming.

2. Comparison between Engineers vs Developers

Still, have problems telling software engineer and software developer apart? Don’t worry, ’cause we’re here to clear up any confusion you may have about these two.

In this part, Savvycom will provide answers to these following questions:

What are the similarities between Software Engineer and Software Developer?
What are the differences?
BONUS: Frequently Asked Question

2.1. The similarities

There is no clear textbook differentiation between the two concepts. However, despite not being the same, software developer and software engineer are very much interrelated and in fact, share some similarities. Software engineers and software developers both refer to those who write software for a living.

They all need knowledge and skills in IT and algorithms and then mix all those together to create efficient, smooth-running software. They also should be, more or less, able to work as part of a team, as IT systems are usually something too sophisticated for just a single person to deal with.

2.2. The differences

Let’s now take a look at the subtle yet significant differences between these positions based on some major criteria:

a/ Job function

The difference between software engineers and developers when you look right into the basic descriptions and job functions of their jobs | Source: Cambrian Training.

Software Engineers:

They apply engineering principles to develop software. They work towards viable technology solutions to their clients’ problems. As they design their solution, any plans that they devise must be backed up with empirical evidence to prove that those are applicable to the real world.
Engineers participate in the entire life cycle of software development, overseeing processes from analysing, designing to developing programs. They take the lead on software development projects, give consultancy to clients and manage development tasks, making sure that the whole process is well-coordinated.

Software Developers:

On the other hand, work to turn solutions into reality and focus primarily on the development project as a part of the whole software development life cycle. While they also partake in software creation, they have more freedom when it comes to developing their software product; that is, they are not required to prove the feasibility of their solution with empirical evidence.
Comparatively speaking, software engineers are the ones who see the bigger picture, being responsible for the entire development life cycle, whereas software developers focus their talents on the implementation details of development without the need to tie themselves to engineering principles and manage the big picture.

b/ Job description

As the two terms are oftentimes used interchangeably, confusion easily arises as to how each role differs and which tasks are involved. When in doubt, it’s best to take a closer look at the job description of each position.

Software Engineer Job Duties:

Identify issues and common patterns to enhance system quality, and develop standard operating procedures
Improve existing applications by looking for enhancement opportunities and making further recommendations
Provide ongoing maintenance and support for codebases and peer review code changes
Work alongside colleagues to implement technical designs
Investigate and employ new technologies where relevant
Provide written knowledge transfer material

Software Developer Job Duties:

Research, design, implement and manage software programs
Test and evaluate new programs
Identify areas for modification in existing programs and subsequently develop these modifications
Determine operational feasibility
Develop and conduct quality assurance procedures
Maintain and upgrade existing systems
Training users and collaborate with other developers, UX designers, business and systems analysts

Generally speaking, software engineering refers to applying engineering principles to give clients technology solutions and to create software to fulfil their requirements. Meanwhile, the job of software developers offers plenty of scope for creativity when developers take responsibility for the entire software development process. They create a theoretical design, write codes then test and fix bugs to ensure the software runs smoothly.

c/ Qualifications and skills required

Software Engineers:

Qualifications are more challenging for software engineers, as they need to have at least a bachelor or a master degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or related fields. A degree in Engineering is highly essential for those who wish to enter this field. Other qualities and skills include:

A passion for solving problems and providing workable solutions
Knowledge of algorithms and data structures
Strong analytical and reasoning skills with an ability to visualise processes and outcomes
Proficiency in troubleshooting software issues and debugging a large codebase
Outstanding all-round communication skills and ability to work collaboratively
Experience creating and maintaining IT architectures and databases
Problem-solving skills
Pattern design and experience with cloud-based infrastructure
Embedded development/debugging experience
Experience on multi-core CPU or SMP
Knowledge of multiple programming languages including C/C++

Software Developers:

If you want to become a software developer, you will have a number of degree options to choose from. The most highlighted degrees are in such subjects as Software Programming Development, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Electronics or Physics. A development degree course can either be at the associate’s or the bachelor’s level. Other qualities and skills include:

Knowledge and interest in computer systems and the latest technologies
Commercial and business awareness
Good communication skills — both written and verbal
Attention to detail and desire to probe further into data
Able to write clean, maintainable code
Expertise in Javascript, ReactJS, AngularJS, jQuery
Experience building the front end of applications with ES2015+, NodeJS, jQuery, HTML5, and CSS3
Experience in front-end tooling and workflows with Git, Grunt/Gulp
Experience in responsive web design
Understanding of cross-browser compatibility

d/ Salary

If job requirements and responsibilities still have yet to clearly distinguish a software engineer from a software developer, then their salary should be a relevant differentiator. According to Payscale research, as of June 2019, the average salary of a software engineer in the US is $83,681, whilst a software developer makes an average of $70,388 per year.

In terms of pay by experience, an early career Software Engineer with 1–4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $80,381, compared with $67,214 of a software developer. For 5 to 9 years of experience, it’s $91,019 versus $80,178.

It appears that at any point of experience, the salary of a software engineer is around $11,000-$12,000 higher than that of a software developer.

This is a brief summary of an article published on Savvycom blog. If you would like to learn more detailed information, feel free to read the full article.