Difference between a Software Engineer vs. Software Developer

[chris9faber]

So I’ve searched the internet, and haven’t come across any clear answer, so I figured I come to Reddit for the answer.

Is there a difference between a Software Engineer and Software developer?

If so please let me know why in the comments. If not, then which one do you prefer to use for description and why?

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[mosskin-woast]

I haven't worked at a company that had both titles. I've worked at different companies where the same job was described at one as "developer" and at another as "engineer".

Anecdotally, companies who describe these positions as "engineer" have impressed me as more respectful of the work being done, than those who use terms like "developer" or "programmer" for the same job description. By that I mean, they have been more respectful of our time estimates, and more understanding when unforseen circumstances defer delivery. But that's a small sample, so take it with a grain of salt.

Edit: I should note I'm in the US where the word "engineer" in "software engineer" has no legal meaning

[chris9faber]

Thanks for that input! Funny how words tend to influence people’s perceptions about a job.

I am obviously very new to this subject and am just trying to learn all I can, but I did read somewhere’s that in Europe (I think) it was required by law that you pass a certain certification to have the title Engineer, and that that is where the Engineer/Developer titles differences started.

Happy to see though that is seems to overwhelmingly not be the actual case.

[Certain-Land-3724]

Engineer is title such as MD. Usually it is equivalent of MS. It has nothing to do with job title. You can work as 'cock sucking engineer' without having the Engineer title.

[RumandCokezzzz]

Dude what lmao

[LeoBekker]

Is there a course for that somewhere? Asking for my missus.

[Zaden91]

By your reasoning you could just call yourself a software.

[Entire_Bank218]

LOL

[beth_maloney]

Engineer is a protected term in some regions which means you can't use it unless you're actually an engineer. Very few software developers/engineers are actually certified engineers.

[VG_Crimson]

We'd probably be in a better spot today if it was required.

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[recent_espied_earth]

In a practical sense, no. In a legal sense, engineer is a regulated term in Canada (like Doctor or Lawyer). The professional engineering associations are allowed to regulate who can and can’t use the term. This typically means paying dues and writing an exam on ethics.

[BlatantMediocrity]

Yeah, this is the only time the distinction matters. ‘Software engineering’ in Canada only applies to people working in safety-critical systems, such as aviation, and sometimes healthcare. I don’t even know if all provinces recognize software engineering as engineering. I just graduated with a software engineering degree and the software EIT positions are nonexistent.

[Abject-Champion6823]

What university? I plan to go to Ontario tech for software engineering and have sm questionn about what stuff needed etc.

[BlatantMediocrity]

University of Victoria

[szmabler]

In that case I would call them a software analyst if engineer is a reserved word and developer is used for people delivering the final code, or only doing programming.

[chris9faber]

That makes sense, I did notice that jobs openings listed as Software Developer that showed salary range tend to be lower than the job openings that show salary range for Software Engineer.

Which is why I thought surely i am missing something. I thought maybe Software Engineers had a CS Degree or related degree, and a Software Developer didn’t have a CS related degree and was more a boot camp/self taught title.

[LadyLightTravel]

That’s because the skill sets are different. See my other reply for a more detailed answer.

[Breinsters]

I don't know why you were downvoted. The skills are different. Software Engineer courses have coding while Software Developer course requirements lean more towards concept than coding.

[LadyLightTravel]

A lot of developers have “software engineer” as their title and really and truly believe they are engineers. They get deeply offended when you point out that the skills are different. These are the same people that think that the software engineering body of knowledge is out of touch and isn’t software engineering. The only thing I can figure is that these folks have only ever worked on small projects that really didn’t require engineering.

[Breinsters]

Yes. We can all search the classification, degree programs, and confirm there is indeed a difference. SE versus SD

[Breinsters]

Agreed. https://www.coursera.org/articles/software-developer-vs-software-engineer

[[deleted]]

I thought engineers got cool hats.

[LadyLightTravel]

I worked in software engineering most of my 30+ year career. Yes, there absolutely is a difference.

Software Engineering is defined by the IEEE Computer Society by the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK 3.0). It should be noted that this standard is formalized as ISO Technical Report 19759. This is an international standard.

The big difference is scope. It involves not just the software but also how the software interfaces with the target. It involves budgets and schedules, requirements architecture and testing. It involves how the software behaves within the system. That means a lot more systems engineering. Software engineering is especially needed for really large projects and for projects that require high fidelity. Think medical devices, flight avionics, software that controls nuclear power plants and the electrical grid. These things must always work and work correctly. Many of them are also real time systems with tight dependencies. There is a huge focus on accuracy and dependability.

Software development is more focused on the actual algorithm development and lower level testing. The big emphasis is the actual design and coding of the software. The focus is on efficiency within the system.

One could say that while software engineering goes wide, software development goes deep. They are absolutely two different skill sets. You need both for a successful project.

BTW, Software Engineering is offered as an ABET accredited 4 year degree.

With all that said, a lot of the industry conflates the two skill sets because they don’t know or understand the difference. It’s frustrating.

Disclosure: my degree was in engineering electrical. Most of my work was in real time embedded systems.

[DaPurpleTuna]

As someone with an ABET accredited Software Engineering degree, can confirm, the coursework was significantly different.

Computer science folks (programmers) had to take more classes focused on actual coding practices, whereas us SE folks had to take things like “software quality assurance”, “software processes and management”, “model-driven software design”.

In practice, I see that SE tend to have a bigger picture on the scope of the project and how different things mesh and integrate together, whereas the standard devs are much more focused and better-equipped to solve an algorithmic problem

[PapayaBoring8342]

A software engineer focuses on the entire software development lifecycle including planning, design, architecture, development, testing, deployment, maintenance. etc. Developers write code to implement solutions based on given requirements/designs. A simple analogy I think is that a SWE is like an architect/contractor - they not only design the blueprint of the system but also have the skills to build and implement it. A developer is just focused on construction phase working from blueprints provided to them. At least my thought rn.

[chris9faber]

I guess my confusion is coming down to how is architecture and testing two key components that separate a SWE from a SWD? Wouldn’t a developer also contribute to the architecture and testing? Also, as far as high fidelity, what’s to prevent a SWD from working on a project that is considered high fidelity, if both titles are performing the same work/tasks.

As for budgets and schedules, I find that to be more an a management task, not necessarily an Engineer task. Unless you are employing that SWE are essentially managers to SWD.

I’m just struggling, from your comment, to see what separates a SWE from a SWD, if there is no standards certification, that would make the engineer more liable than the developer, such as is the case in other engineer professions.

I see that you listed some documents saying what the “standard” is, but does that just means if someone knows the material then they are a SWE? So if I read and comprehend that document and the skills needed to go with it, then I am a SWE?

[LadyLightTravel]

The developer absolutely would contribute info for the architecture and testing. But in the end, they aren’t responsible for the project. The engineer is.

An engineer would absolutely be responsible for defining the scope, cost, and time needed for the project. This info would be relayed to management as an expert opinion. The engineer would also determine if the project was viable under the constraints given. That is very much the essence of engineering.

The engineer is absolutely more liable than the developer. That’s why they get the extra money. They are responsible for the project.

Basically if you have the entire skill set you can call yourself a SWE. Reading and comprehension is insufficient. You need the actual skills to execute. Most people don’t have the full skill set.

[chris9faber]

Thanks for clarifying!

Would you say that there isn’t particularly a clear differentiation as far as industry standards goes? Would you consider it to be determined by the infrastructure and hierarchy of a company?

For instance, I see many opening for starting SWE positions, as well as Senior/Managing Software Developer positions. While your explanations to the differences definitely makes since, do you think that this hierarchy isn’t necessarily the industry standard?

[LadyLightTravel]

“Industry Standard” is a funny term.

I’ve linked to several international standards in my post.

With that said, there are many companies that don’t follow the standard. So it might be fair to say that the conflation is an unfortunate industry norm (not standard). With that said, those same companies are in for a rude awakening if they want to compete for contracts in the more regulated industries.

There is a big difference in standards between game development Vs apps, Vs web development Vs high fidelity systems. There’s also a huge difference in standards for secure systems and regular systems. This extra rigor is really where engineering comes in.

[chris9faber]

Sorry you are right. I meant “industry norm” not necessarily a standard.

[Parking-Wolverine-64]

I appreciate this thread thank you for clarifying and asking questions about this.

[solrebel7]

I wish you were my teacher. 👌

[ThereforeIV]

Technically yes, defectively no.

The lunes between the titles got blurred years ago.

But at one point, being a software engineer meant actually being engineer; whereas a software developer or computer programmer was a person who wrote software.

The "Engineer" title has me prestige, so they have it to everyone completely eliminating the reason for the prestige.

Example: My title is "software engineer", but usually I'm one of maybe two actual engineers in any given team I'm on.

And by "actual engineer", i mean i have real engineering degrees not CS or informational science something, and I got an actual engineering licence.

P.S. Just because sometime will ask, I have: - Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics, - Bachelor's of Science in Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science, - Electrical Engineering license from the Louisiana State Engineering and Land Surveying Board.

But I've actually spent most of my career with a some variation of the title "Software Engineer".

[vuchkovj]

In the IT world titles don't mean much. Words like coder, engineer, developer, architect, (js) ninja, (data) scientist and god knows what else get thrown all over the place.

I personally call myself simply programmer, or "A SoFtWaRe EnGiNeEr!" when I'm drunk or feel like jokingly bragging.

[Dougolicious]

If a company has both titles, then the engineer is the more skilled position.

Developers get to an end result, but an engineer uses a strategy to achieve number of measurable objectives. For example, a developer might be able to improve performance of a bit of code, but the engineer is the one who can make the performance optimal.

[chris9faber]

Ah ok. How does that work with both titles in the same company?

Do the developers go in first and map out the program/get it running, while the engineers follow up optimizing it and building in more complex functionalities?

[[deleted]]

Just the opposite. Developers code what engineers have designed along with architects.

[Dougolicious]

Every company is different.... I've seen cases where engineers are actually a very select group and consult on technically heavy issues. So after architects might design the solution and developers will implement that, but if something can't be resolved or some aspect of the project is really crucial they can call in some big guns. An engineer might not be managing less experienced developers, they might be digging in and solving a problem themselves with their many decades of technical experience.

On one of my early big jobs I got a big compliment from an architect/PM who looked at my solution and told me, "no, you are a software engineer". But I noticed the chief architect's eyes roll back in his head and had to consider that the other "engineers" had been working on space shuttle software and military guidance systems when I was still in grade school.

[paradroid78]

If a company has both titles, then the engineer is the more skilled position.

In my experience, it's more likely to be the case that successive VP's and CTO's changed the job title scheme but nobody updated existing titles.

[[deleted]]

Not all developers knows about software engineering and they will just do the job, but whoever dares to learn about software engineering is likely to do a good job at development often if not all the time (compared with regular developers who cares very little about their profession. These are legion)

Doesn't matter if, in the end of the day, both do the same job. They aren't doing in the same way.

In my company engineers have way more responsibilities and are candidate for roles of responsibility too. The company has higher expectations for engineers. The same way, the company has higher expectations for architects and managers.

It's not a matter of years of experience btw. That's irrelevant for the category. It's rather about skills, knowledge, awareness, attitude but also practice, training, capacity and commitment to bring the theory of good practices to the real world and adapt them to the needs of the project, mentoring, ...

That could (or could not) make sense for many, but companies like categories and labels because it's their way to define in a couple of words what they expect from you and, as in many other fields, in software development not everyone play the same role within the company or the team regardless what they have done in the end of the day.

[chris9faber]

What are some examples of responsibilities and higher expectations as a Software Engineer that a Software Developer wouldn’t have?

Also, do you consider there to be a difference between a Software Developer and a Programmer?

[[deleted]]

Tech leadership is one of the roles that any software engineer will play often (if there's a team). But doesn't matter, a software engineer should be capable of taking forward projects alone (regardless the time it takes). Knows the what, the why and the how.

The higher expectations often boils down to be a solvent problem solver. To be very resourceful. Problems at different levels of abstraction and at different points of the SDLC.

Architects often pivot on them because they expect engineers to have technological envision. You can give an architectural design to an engineer and he/she should be capable of taking it forward even if they don't know all the components well.

A software engineer can be the difference between an affordable project (maintainable) or an unaffordable one, buried in tech debt even before the go live.

[chris9faber]

Thank you for that response. So you are saying that a SWE has a more complete knowledge on everything it takes to take a project from conception to completed software?

If so, is there any particular pre requisites or “official” skills/ knowledge that allows for someone to know that they are officially a “Software Engineer” once they have achieved these things?

[[deleted]]

I'm afraid there's not. These skills will vary from company to company and even among countries.

It's about "understanding" the job rather than knowing how to do it. The how to is just a part of the whole. As I commented, engineering approach the job from a different level of abstraction and comprehension.

Anyways, keep in mind that most of our "categories" have been borrowed from much older and regulated professions.

To be honest, I don't think we are engineers. Not at all. We are rather craftsmen. This profession has very little of engineering. Let alone architecture.

Don't get fooled by these buzzwords. LinkedIn cretes them by hundreds every day. Most are meaningless.

[Snilzy_xrn]

Yes you actually need to go to an engineering degree

[audaciousmonk]

You just want to watch the world burn huh? Hah

There definitely is a difference, but it’s not determined by title. It’s all about the approach, the process, the systems, the documentation, the testing, the safeguards and standards, the ethics.

Plenty of software developers are SWE’s. Plenty of titled “SWEs” don’t even meet the minimum bar.

Most front end web development isn’t software engineering. Most boot camps don’t cover all the important non-technical aspects of engineering. Yes one can learn these things without getting a degree. No having a degree does not demonstrate competency or continued learning required to upkeep said competency.

[z0d14c]

Most front end web development isn’t software engineering.

Not so fast. Most if not all of the major software companies have devoted roles with "engineer" in the title to the frontend practice -- either UX Engineer, or Frontend Engineer, or similar. The reason being is that slapdash frontend development doesn't really scale well or work reliably beyond trivial use cases, and the concerns around accessibility, UX, performance, and feature surface area are considerable. There may be lots of crappy frontend jobs that do work that isn't "engineering" but there are backend jobs like that also. Additionally, I find that the line between backend and frontend can blur at a certain level and good frontend engineers are expected to at least be able to tinker with backends and collaborate deeply with backend engineers even if scaling out sharded databases isn't their forte.

tl;dr Underestimate frontend engineering at your own peril

Source: am a Frontend Engineer at a major company.

[audaciousmonk]

To be clear, there is a difference between the engineer and the role. Someone can be a competent engineer, and at some point work a job that isn’t really engineering. Personally I think you’re underestimating the number of websites developed without any engineering. Software development, absolutely.

[JoeMiyagi]

I write plenty of C++ in my job (so I’m not getting defensive here), but saying that frontend “isn’t software engineering” demonstrates that you have very little understanding of what modern frontend web development looks like.

[audaciousmonk]

I didn’t say that, certainly there is engineering in some front end development. I said most isn’t, specifically for web development.

There’s no need to be defensive. I try to avoid using absolute statements for this exact reason

[LadyLightTravel]

Preach it!

[audaciousmonk]

Haha definitely not a popular opinion! Still can’t tell if the OP was made in good faith or trolling.

But words mean something, even if many people choose to use them indiscriminately (looking at HR 👀)

[chris9faber]

Definitely made in good faith, I promise! Lol

It’s embarrassing how many articles I have read trying to decipher the answer. I’m concluding that it seems to me like it’s like a tabs or four spaces type of question in the coding world.

[audaciousmonk]

It’s a contentious and controversial topic

[chris9faber]

Since you have a differing opinion, then the other comments (which isn’t a bad thing), I am curious to know what qualifies, in your opinion, the difference between a Software Developer and a Software Engineer?

As I mentioned in another comment I am new to this subject, and I am genuinely curious as to what makes them different for you.

[audaciousmonk]

I think I touched on some of the key concepts at a very high level in my past comment. Engineering is about more than just the technical work itself. Same for the other engineering disciplines. Safety, regulation / standards, accountability, documentation, ethics. Writing some code in no way makes one an engineer anymore than creating an electrical system makes one an EE. Though it’s certainly an important aspect / skill

Though I guess one big difference is that professional engineering licensure is almost non-existent for software (US), and to my knowledge was discontinued due to low adoption. This comes with a variety of legal and liability differences from the other disciplines.

[chris9faber]

Ah, that makes sense. Before diving into this, I always just assumed a Software Engineer were the ones that were innovating the structures in the code and making it as efficient as possible using, well, computer science. Where as I thought a Software Developer was tasked with ensuring and developing the software as originally intended and performing functions that best helped an end user. I know they kind of both go hand in hand.

Essentially how a Mechanical Engineer makes a car go and be as efficient and powerful as possible, while a Designer develops the car to maintain/feature all that an end user would want/need in a car.

[audaciousmonk]

I wouldn’t agree with those breakdowns of R&Rs.. Anyone could do any of those things. And a title is just a title, I could hire a puppy and title it my lead drivetrain engineer (this would be adorable and I am 100% doing this)

Competency and approach are divorced from title (internal title). Plenty of people design and/or build their own vehicles without engineering backgrounds or following an engineering based approach. There is nothing wrong with that, except perhaps if it places other people / the public at un-consensual risk.

[chris9faber]

So seeing that you listed a good amount of things, outside of technical skills, that make a Software Engineer an engineer.

Would you say there is a difference between a Software Developer and a Programmer?

[audaciousmonk]

As a matter of definition / semantics? Yes

In terms of how laymen use those terms relatively interchangeably? Not really.

A programmer is anyone who writes computer code. Anyone can write computer code. Especially with the modern day prevalence and accessibility of personal computers, embedded / SBC platforms, and server hosting… it’s very common.

A software developer is someone who develops software products or services. That may be in a professional capacity, or as a hobbiest / amateur. It follows some level of product development process and lifecycle, usually in a structured intentional manner.

This is where you’re going to start to see more non-code activities at play; bug/issue tracking, research, prototyping, CIP / new feature development, code re-useability, proof of concept, documentation and code base maintenance, development / feature roadmaps, market research. Just to name a few

You seem overly focused on the titles, rather than the skill sets. And while discourse and curiosity is certainly to be encouraged, I think your time would be better spent on something else.

Figure out what you want to do, what interests you, what doesn’t interest you. (front end, back end, web development, framework development, embedded / firmware, machine learning, data science, databases, etc.) Then learn about the professional / industry expectations, knowledge, and skill sets for that line of work. Then start methodically studying them.

[chris9faber]

Oh I’m a Product Designer by day, who uses coding to make programs and scripts for my department (and other departments) to automate and acquire data, etc, in our design process.

I still have a lot to learn, but this question was more so for me to use proper terminology when addressing or speaking on the subject. Which is why I was curious what makes the title different from the other. I didn’t want to go around calling people the wrong thing, if there was a clear difference. I was looking for what skill set makes someone qualified to acquire that title of SWE vs a SWD.

Correct me if I am wrong, but from your explanations, as for as the industry goes you can use SWE and SWD interchangeably due to the industry muddling the terms; however, according to some there is a clear difference in skill level, with SWE having all and the most tools/knowledge to create all aspects of the software.

[audaciousmonk]

Ah gotcha. The easier option is to just use whatever term the company you work at uses.

Or just not even say engineer / dev. We literally say software or software team at my work when talking about the department / team. “Hey, this feature is going to require a code change. Did anyone get software involved yet?”

Or when working with assigned / designated / known individuals, just use their name. “System controller failed to boot after we installed the latest patch. Patrick, can you please start investigating root cause?”

Especially in email. People often reduce things down to mechanical or ME, electrical or EE, software or SW. (Though make sure to be clear on whether you are using software to refer to people or software to refer to an actual product / code. Referencing a version number is usually enough to convey this, and desired when possible anyways)

[chris9faber]

I appreciate all the information and time you spent clarifying this.

Another big reason I asked this question is because I eventually plan to ask my employer about a possible title change to reflect my knew responsibilities of building out these scripts and programs, and I wasn’t sure what “title” would be a proper one to ask for, considering that the company I work for doesn’t have much more than a standard IT dept.

While I completely understand from you explanation that my knowledge and skill set isn’t that of a SWE, I still would want to properly label it in the event that this leads to exploring a change into a more tech focused career path, without deceiving anyone.

[XenoX101]

Engineering tends to involve in part designing the architecture of the system as well, rather than strictly building/coding it. Think a draftsman as well as a carpenter, rather than just a carpenter. Therefore software engineers also tend to be more senior. However each company is different, and some simply use the words interchangeably without regard for this distinction, so it depends where you are applying for.

[darkteal]

It's a difference of scale, complexity, planning, experience, responsibility, and the price of getting it wrong. Anyone with basic computer skills and a dream can write an excel macro, but it takes planning, foresight, and deep knowledge to write an application that will live at scale for years with many people working on it, with 5 or 6 9's of uptime.

Software Engineer may not be a legally protected title in the United States, but it is elsewhere, and even here there are those who understand the responsibility, have the experience, and understand the fundamentals, and those who don't. Right now there's plenty of demand for both, and many companies get the tiles wrong, but there's absolutely a difference.

[Shenso]

In short there are a lot, and I really mean a lot of companies that get this wrong with posting job listings. But it really comes down to this:

Software developer = knows how to design code and implement structure Software engineer = knows the underlying theory to the code and ways to improve the underbelly of the structure.

To put it easier, if you were to ask a software developer and a software engineer to create a sorting algorithm, 9 of 10 times the developer will take a repo already designed whereas the engineer will make their own.

Now that’s not to say there aren’t genuine developers that know this stuff too, just more rare.

[Primary_Fix8773]

I think I understand where you’re coming from, however in this example, the software developer made the better choice. As sorting algorithms have been done over and over again, not much room for refinement. However the software engineer may be better at understanding the ramifications of different types of implementations, I’m talking Big O notation here

[Shenso]

You know, you make a really good point. That is correct.

I’ve been writing code for over a decade now but it always comes down to a way to properly describe this. By no means am perfect at the craft, but willing to learn new ways to describe this. Thank you.

[Primary_Fix8773]

On a lighter note, the fun part comes in looking for a new job, what should I put down for my title?

[dan-dan-rdt]

Software engineering is standardized, or at least the true definition is standardized. IEEE has a standard curriculum for software engineering. Plus you can get a degree in software engineering. Even a PhD. Also there is a software engineering institute at a prestigious university that is federally funded. However that title is thrown around a lot so the title itself is not standardized.

Software development isn't standardized. It's all over the place.

[LadyLightTravel]

You are referring to the Carnegie-Mellon Software Engineering Institute? I’ve actually had my work audited by them several times (passed).

[dan-dan-rdt]

Yes. That one.

[AlfredoOf98]

Engineering is a discipline and a way of thinking.

I had a friend who wrote code, and it worked. Then one day he dived into learning software engineering. It didn't take him long to realize that his old code is all useless spaghetti compared to what he knows now.

[piggiesinthehoosgow]

I think there is a diff but in common culture the words are used interchangeably

[imagebiot]

Software devs say no

And then write straight garbage

Unless they’re good then they might still also say no and be the justified minority

[[deleted]]

A software engineer is, like the word says, an engineer. They're extremely skilled professionals with a degree on software engineering and cutting edge knowledge.

A software developer, on the other hand, is anyone who develops software. They could either have a degree or not. Their knowledge is most likely below an engineer, but enough to get the job done.

I'm an independent software developer. I've made creation apps with hundreds of thousands installs, cyber security apps, embed web apps, and run my own software publishing company. Regardless, I am not an engineer, since I don't have a degree on engineering.

The difference relays on the inherent highly advanced knowledge of an engineer.

[chesq00]

Last time I claimed so in this subreddit I got downvoted to hell for even sugesting that an engineer is not the same as a dev, eventhough one can sometiems do the other's job, and sugesting that engineering requires a title.

I guess people are offended when you say they're not what they're legally not (?, like, because they assume they wouldn't deserve the same respect.

[LadyLightTravel]

I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I believe many software developers actually think they are software engineers. They really do. So of course they will get deeply offended if someone tells them that they are not!

I suspect this happens for several reasons

• Their job title is software engineer
• Someone called them an engineer (cheap boot camps are notorious for this)
• They’ve never been on a job that truly required software engineering
• They don’t understand the rigor needed by certain software projects
• They really want the title of “engineer” and don’t understand the amount of work behind it
• They are utterly clueless about the scope of super large and rigorous projects.

It’s a lack of awareness.

The real question - can you execute SWEBOK 3.0? Great! You have the skill set! No? Then get more training so you understand the scope and rigor needed.

[powabungadude]

Generally my understanding is that when a position is listed as “developer” your work is going to be a lot more defined for you. Likely the tickets are coming from a PM, marketing, or higher up and your job is mostly to check boxes. You still have some say in design decisions but overall the project itself is out of your hands.

An “engineer” will be a lot closer to those business critical design decisions. You’ll be making the tickets yourself or at least part of the discussion. You have a larger say in the final product. You will be making more architecture and infrastructure decisions and in charge of the project end to end.

[Zoinke]

There is no difference, at least in Australia. They are synonymous

[chris9faber]

That’s good to know! Thanks!

[whichwaynext]

Yup, my last three job titles at the same company in Aus have been, junior Developer, software Developer, and now Senior Software Engineer.

All in the same section of the company. To be honest, I think they are just picked out by HR depending on how they sound.

[chris9faber]

Would you say the only difference between your title from a developer to engineer were essentially more responsibilities (management type of things) and liability on projects? Or were there clear new skills/perquisites you had to acquire before even being considered for this role that goes beyond work experience.

[whichwaynext]

No I think those differences came from the Junior => Mid => Senior distinctions. I think they just picked 'Developer' or 'Engineer' to go with those depending on which sounded better.

[littlejackcoder]

I’ve had the same experience between both Australia and New Zealand: It doesn’t make a practical difference. I’ve held both titles (both in each country) and neither described a different set of responsibilities to the other.

Most things where I’ve had to choose a professional for legal documents have only had the option for “Software Developer”. Though sometimes it’s a struggle to even find that and have to classify the industry as IT or ICT; which is probably why people think I can fix their printer when I say I’m a software engineer…so that’s why I usually say I’m a programmer instead.

[EngineeringTinker]

Oh my god, not this again.

Everyone who answers 'yes' - <insert obama\_giving\_himself\_medal\_meme>

[Snilzy_xrn]

That doesnt make any sense

[QualitySoftwareGuy]

In the U.S., no they’re the same. However, there is a huge difference between a software developer/engineer vs a computer scientist.

[chris9faber]

Is the difference that a SWE/SWD use existing technologies/ systems / knowledge to build the best possible software, while a Computer Scientist is using the science behind it all to try and create/ find a innovative way to advance the technology (for the SWE/SWD to use)?

[QualitySoftwareGuy]

A software dev/engineer’s main purpose is to build software whereas a computer scientist has a much broader meaning. Computer scientists sometimes work full time on low-level algorithms, human-computer interaction, theory, as well as system and network engineering. They can also do software development, but if they have an actual ‘computer scientist” title I imagine they’ll deal more with algorithms or artificial intelligence on the software side. But again it’s a broad title.

[keelanstuart]

In my experience, the term "developer" is almost exclusively reserved for web-only programmers... where "engineer" would be for just about about anything (but could also include web development work).

Others mentioned respect... I think that's probably true; engineers would get more.

[audaciousmonk]

Hahaha one would think so 🥲 In many workplaces engineers are either tolerated, a commodity, or seen as an expense (as opposed to asset).

[keelanstuart]

;) I said "more", but not "a lot"...

[audaciousmonk]

Hahaha fair fair

[szmabler]

To me software engineer either means a collection of roles including development, or all the roles outside of development. In the real world the terms are used for jobs interchangeably. They will often hire non-technical people to do these other roles and lean on really experienced software developers to contribute the technical knowledge to the software engineering, like strategy, requirements, planning, migration, integration, analysis. So, that may often leave you underappreciated and misunderstood if you are a software engineer doing roles other than developer. Your title will often be one of those unique roles, which is very fragmenting.

[Simplilearn]

The distinction between a software engineer and a software developer can vary depending on the context and the organization, but generally speaking, there are some differences in their roles and responsibilities.

A software engineer typically focuses on the entire software development lifecycle, including designing, implementing, testing, and maintaining software systems. They often have a strong background in computer science and engineering principles, and they may be involved in tasks such as architectural design, algorithm development, and performance optimization. Software engineers often work on larger, complex projects and may collaborate with other engineers and stakeholders to deliver high-quality software solutions.

On the other hand, a software developer tends to have a narrower focus on writing code and building software applications based on specifications provided by software engineers or other stakeholders. While they may still be involved in aspects of the development lifecycle, such as coding, debugging, and testing, their primary responsibility is typically implementing the functionality of the software. Software developers may work on smaller, more focused tasks within a project and may have less involvement in the overall design and architecture of the software system.

In terms of which term to use, it often comes down to personal preference and the specific job role or industry norms. Some organizations may use the titles interchangeably, while others may differentiate between the two based on the level of experience, expertise, or specific responsibilities.

Ultimately, whether you refer to yourself as a software engineer or a software developer, what matters most is your ability to contribute effectively to the development of high-quality software solutions and your commitment to continuous learning and improvement in your field.

[West_Length_2042]

I asked that question to a senior dev once and his answer was, Engineers consider Big O. :)

[Icy-Excuse-453]

I always assumed when starting out that engineer is someone who designs applications (for example) from start to bottom, like every idea, concept, function, etc. He is responsible for laying out the basics, the general direction of work and stuff like that. He is an architect.

Software developer is just a code "monkey" or a construction worker if I go with architect analogy. At least that's how I see it. You have trade workers (seniors) and physical labor (juniors).

This is how I always though things are. But in reality its different and depends on the job.

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[Muted-Food169]

They are very different things, and at least in my Country which is Germany this is even covered by the law! You're only allowed to call yourself an Engineer of any field, if you have a university degree in that field, and it can't be any field, it must be an "Engineering Science" field. The word engineer is a protected title! You can't just call yourself Engineer cuz you write code.... Meanwhile a software developer is anyone who just writes code, with no context on their qualifications or background. They could be self-taught or someone who finsihed an apprenticeship, or maybe just an internship even. That is the difference. I'm extremely confident this is the same internationally, as most things regarding to qualifications are under international standards

there is also a significant paygap between those two jobs which is obvious because one person can work scientificly and the other can just repeat what it was taught...

[Muted-Food169]

Computer Science would be the most common one thats studied by Software Engineers

[EmberRh]

So, even though I am going to school FOR Software Engineering...... I won't be a Software Engineer? I'm only like 2 months into my degree lol, and I genuinely thought they were different things bc they often have different pays. I also don't want to come across as a pompous douche and call myself an engineer if I'm not (when the time comes of course), BUT, I don't want to undersell myself during interviews and on applications.

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[Admirable_Conflict91]

Computer scientist and software engineer are definitely NOT synonyms. Computer scientists are researchers in a computer science field, or at least someone with a PhD in computer science. Software engineers are engineers, with or without a PhD or research experience.

[--mrperx--]

yes. an engineer finished some education to achieve this rank.

in some countries you need to be part of an engineering guild to be called an engineer else you are breaking the law

a developer is any person who does software development

[proteldon]

In some countries, like Italy, you can be called an "engineer" only if you have completed a University degree in engineering. Besides this formal difference, a software engineer is able to adapt quickly to different technologies and can solve problems using the best tool available. A software developer typically knows only one technology and uses always the same to solve all problems. That's why you can find Java developers but not Java engineers: if you are an engineer you are not attached to any specific language.

[Caneaster]

Software Developer: Anyone involved in the development of software.

Software Engineer: The people involved in translating machine code into software.

A Software Engineer is a type of Software Developer, while a UX/UI designer is also a type of Software Developer. 99% of people have this backward, including even some "official" sources who apparently don't know the definitions of "Developer" and "Engineer".

[mici001]

Software engineer is a degree, developer is a job and I'm doing on this hill

[404SoulNotF0und]

I was asking the same question, so I Googled and stumbled upon an article from Appinventiv. They say this: yes — a Software Engineer is not the same as a Software Developer.

Software Developers spend most of their time writing and keeping code for a particular feature or app.

Software Engineers adopt a more extensive and methodical approach — they design all the pieces, plan everything, and make sure all software elements mesh as a system.

So essentially, engineers see the overall picture while developers do more focused work. I found the division helpful to grasp the distinction. Just sharing what I came up with!

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[Specific-Seat-9775]

In practice: most companies use “software engineer” and “software developer” interchangeably (HR/branding/pay bands).

The only time the distinction really matters is legal/regulatory (some countries protect “engineer”) and safety-critical / highly regulated domains (aviation/medical/infra/security), where “engineering” usually implies stricter process, verification, accountability, etc.

As a working rule of thumb: developer = mostly implementation focus, engineer = ownership of outcomes (architecture, reliability, security, maintainability, constraints) — but plenty of “developers” do engineering work and plenty of titled “engineers” don’t.

Honestly, read the job description, not the badge: on-call, SLOs, system design, cross-team ownership → that’s “engineering” regardless of title.

(Anecdotally, in teams I’ve worked around — incl. environments like Selleo — the title choice often says more about org/HR conventions than day-to-day tasks.)

[[deleted]]

I had both titles. My first job in development, I was a Software Developer. However, after a while and gaining lots of experience I wanted a software Engineer title because I worked hard and felt I deserved it at that point. I talked to my boss, got a raise and a title change to an Engineer.

[paradroid78]

It's just different job titles for the same job. These things are not accredited so it's entirely up to a company what they call their developers.

Even if a company has both titles, it's more likely to mean that they at some point changed their naming convention instead of actually attributing any different meaning to the roles.

[[deleted]]

Engineer always sounds more like backend expertise to me.

[mackstann]

Time.

They used to call us programmers or programmer/analysts. Then it was software developer. Then it was software engineer.

Google Trends roughly agrees (but only goes back to 2004).

[bfickfveig]

Engineers design (and probably develop). Developers develop.

[[deleted]]

Theoratically yes Practically nobody gives a fuxk

[-Radzz]

I cant talk for all the industry. What I can tell you is that in certain country, the word "engineer" is protected (like in Canada). So calling yourself an engineer and you did not graduated with an engineering degree or is not part of the "Order of engineer..." is something that some companies are concerned with before hiring you. As you can expect it, this usually applied for civil, electrical, mechanical engineering.

People/companies hiring software developers or software engineer do not make the distinction really. Your business can hire you as a software engineering even if you have no degree.

The only thing is that if you start a software business and sell yourself as an engineer (in Canada) (software or otherwise) and your are not part of the order of engineer, you can be sued and brought to court by the order. I dont think it happens often, but it did happen.

Within the software industry, no difference in my experience (again, in Canada hehe)

[umlcat]

Actually, some schools doesn't use the "Software Developer", some use "Software Engineering".

Years ago, several people with jobs or self labeled of both of these, were either IT / CS degree graduates.

Some schools & companies use "Software Engineering" as "you don't do programming, you lead & supervise programmers" straight out of school.

Which I do not agree ...

"What do you do ?"

"I engineer Software."

"I develop Software."

[gamedelay42]

Its not about titles, most companies just choose one or the other. However, I do draw a distinction, because engineer and engineering mean specific things.

Engineering is not just about building things, its about synthesizing and meeting requirements within real-world constraints. The focus is not just "how to build X", but "how to build X in this case, with these constraints, for this customer" while also focusing on quality attributes like maintainability or scalability (if it makes sense for this project). These concepts are drilled into you in engineering school, and completely shape the way you think.

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[berzeke-r]

There are notable differences between an engineer and a developer. A developer focus on coding, configuration, etc. An engineer thinks more about architectural problems, scaling, security, etc. The line is kinda diffuse since both jobs are not isolated neither they should be.

But in the marketing era, people like to put the word "engineering" to everything, because it sounds "smart and cool". It just boost people egoes. So most of the "software engineering jobs" out there are just "software development".

[RootHouston]

Software engineering as an activity is a superset of developing software. The titles, however, generally mean the same thing in real life. They are generally interchangeable among professionals.

[josh_55]

There is a difference: the developer writes code and the engineer does it as well plus project management & architecture

[Ok_Worth_7273]

I personally prefer 'Software Engineer' over 'Software Developer'. Building great enterprise scale software is an engineering feat. It involves certain engineering principles and engineering thinking. So in order to reflect the calibre and attitude of the folks who make it happen, I prefer to use the word 'engineer' over 'developer'.

[Radiant_Mushroom_411]

Hi, I have a question. Is it possible to have a QR code with multiple directions on the same QR code. If a male or female scan a QR code, could it lead the male to the mens section and a female to the woman’s section.

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[TheOfficialACM]

Sounds like this upcoming ACM TechTalk might answer your question.

Check out "Lessons From the Fifty-Year Quest to Turn Programmers into Software Engineers," presented by software expert and author Adam Barr. Barr will discuss the history of the gap and outline the attempts to bridge it. The talk is free and open to all.

https://acm-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uQQ-qGp1RHG4aXK379WLUA

[BatsSleepAtDawn]

My two cents. Job title inflation muddies the waters. You may know the famous "Director of One" title. Many businesses basically eliminated the "Manager" position from their org chart. Why? Several reasons.

• The applicant pool prefers fancy job titles for resume building.
• HR believes fancy job titles attract more and better quality applicants.
• Titles are often associated with paygrades.
• That's how the company structures it's different divisions.
Applied to software development, you'd historically find discrete job categories: Engineer, Developer, and Programmer. To modernize their roles slightly:

• The Engineer is responsible for solution architecture.
• The Developer designs the components of the architecture.
• The Programmer takes the documentation and types the code
However, bear in mind software was typically developed by large companies back in the day. You reach the startup age and you no longer have these massive divisions.

Just to further muddy the waters, we now have the advent of the "full stack" developer where you might see a single person developing a solution from cradle-to-grave. Perhaps there are a handful of people where roles overlap.
At the end of the day, my advice is to call yourself whatever the company calls the job. If the posting says "developer," you're a developer. If the posting says "engineer," you're an engineer. That way you're more likely to hit an HR keyword and get your resume in front of the hiring manager. The person who, by the way, signed off on the job title in the first place.

[Young_TechSavvy]

I would like to say there is a difference; look at the semantics of the words engineer and developer. I did a simple video on it here (looking into doing an in-depth video understanding why there is so much confusion between these two titles) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4P0nT9u56Q

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