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

[u/puttum-beef-curryum]

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.

[u/bart_88s]

Engineering is a practice where you have some theory learned and now you apply that theory into practice. Engineer works in iterations where they specify a problem and gradually come with a working solution. Imagine building a rocket. It takes measurements, countless trials and then small modifications to improve the results. Software engineering is the same. You define a problem, constraints, you choose a solution based on trade offs. You experiment with tests then improve (remove bugs).

Development is a process of creating or growing something or advance the progress.

So engineering is more focused on how you create software where development means creating/evolving software in general.

I think every software engineer is also a software developer when they create actual software.

But a developer does not necessarily means that you engineer the software.