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Web developers and software engineers are popular roles within tech. Is there a lot of overlap between them? If not, what are the key differences? Were going to break down the differences between a web developer and a software engineer, and highlight what makes both roles unique.

In simplest terms, web developers build and maintain websites, web applications, and services. Depending on their interests and specialization, they may focus on the front-end (i.e., what web users see and do), the back-end (i.e., the servers and other components that actually keep websites and services running), or both. In the course of a typical day, this can mean engaging in tasks such as:

According to Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass), which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, companies frequently ask for the following skills in web developer job postings:

Those web developers who opt to focus on the front end will generally need to have a grasp of the following:

Meanwhile, those who want to concentrate their efforts on the back end will need to master skills including (but certainly not limited to):

Anyone who wants to become a master at full-stack web development will need to know how to use all of the above skills. That might seem like a lot, but keep in mind that many organizations will opt to hire a full-stack developer over someone who specializes exclusively in the front- or back-end; the difficulty of mastering the core concepts is commensurate with the opportunities out there.

Software engineers have a broad scope of responsibilities, and their daily tasks can vary wildly depending on their respective organizations goals. In general, software engineering involves:

Lightcasts necessary skills for a software engineer, based on job postings, include:

But that can also depend on the organizations needs; for instance, a software engineer tasked with mobile development will absolutely need to know the programming languages involved in building apps and services for iOS and Android, including Objective-C, Swift, Java, and Kotlin.

Although the technical skills utilized by a software engineer might differ considerably from those needed by a web developer, the professions do share some commonalities. Specifically, both web developers and software engineers need to understand the principles of software design, and they need effective soft skills (such as communication and teamwork) in order to accomplish their goals and work with other stakeholders.

Both web developers and software engineers are in high demand, and those who want to jump from one role to the other will find a lot thats familiar, especially when it comes to using programming languages to build services and apps.

The core difference between web developers and software engineers is obviously focus: web developers work on websites and applications, whereas software engineers can focus on anything from desktop and mobile software to cloud infrastructure. They use different tools and programming languages to achieve their respective ends.

Dices latest Tech Salary Reportsuggests software engineers can earn quite a bit, especially with specialization and seniority. For example, a principal software engineer can earn $153,288, while a cloud engineer can pull down $145,416. Back-end software engineers earn slightly lower ($129,150), just ahead of data engineers ($122,811) and systems engineers ($120,800).

Meanwhile, the Tech Salary Report puts the average web developer salary at $87,194but keep in mind that number can climb far higher with specialization and experience. (The Report also puts the average tech professional salary at $111,348, up 2.3 percent year-over-year).

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What's the Difference Between a Web Developer and a Software ... - Dice Insights