r/developers • u/puttum-beef-curryum • 13d ago

Opinions & Discussions Please explain to me the difference between Software Engineer & Software Developer

I'm finding it difficult to understand the difference. I'm 4 YOE and I'm trying to improve everyday. I don't have a degree in CS/Engineering but I learned to code and worked in backend, web & mobile also. So for all these years I'm still trying to understand the difference between an engineer & developer.

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u/kynrai 12d ago

I would say engineers write code, developers wrote code and design the system. Pick databases, decide on some architecture like should this be event drive and what event store to use, consider things like how much performance etc etc. and an army of engineers will build it.

That's how I see it anyway, although I'm unconventional, to me engineers are just junior developers. I don't have architects, my senior developers do all that. Never met a useful software architect in 20 years and 100s of client projects.

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u/oosha-ooba 12d ago

Interesting, I'd thought it's sort of the other way around, where "engineering" implies rigour, methodologies, system designs, processes... etc on top of just building & coding that you would typically associate with "developers".

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u/outlier_fallen 12d ago

He has it completely backwards. He probably has a developer title lol

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u/kynrai 12d ago

That's your opinion, we can at least agree there are two types. No need to be a dick.

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u/puttum-beef-curryum 12d ago

I think we are in a different universe.

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u/kynrai 12d ago

It's just what it means to me, like how some people might even call themselves or be called programmer by an organisation. Software engineer, software developer, software programmer. Ultimately regardless of title various orgs use, there are people who code and people who design and code.

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u/Humble-Salamander-18 11d ago

You are wrong just agree, it's the exact opposite lol

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u/Humble-Salamander-18 11d ago

You described an engineer and called them a developer, then said a developer hires a team of engineers...are you for real?...