If the person is calling themselves a “software developer” instead of a “software engineer” then they almost certainly live some place where “engineer” is a restricted term.
No, software developer isn’t a fallback term for software engineer, they have slightly different implications. They’re all very loosely defined so they’re almost interchangeable
Really? Do you know of a company that has both developers and engineers where the distinction is not location?
Where I work, we have both, but it’s purely a location thing. In the American offices we’re called “engineers”, yet my coworkers in Canada are called “developers” despite doing the exact same work. We don’t have “developers” in the US.
It’s somewhat restricted. You can’t hold yourself out as a civil engineer without passing the exam, for example. For made up jobs like software “engineer” there are no rules — it’s like the FDA with regard to actual food vs. supplements.
Check the law where you live. Engineer is in many places a restricted profession like lawyer or doctor.
It’s not restricted in the US.
If the person is calling themselves a “software developer” instead of a “software engineer” then they almost certainly live some place where “engineer” is a restricted term.
No, software developer isn’t a fallback term for software engineer, they have slightly different implications. They’re all very loosely defined so they’re almost interchangeable
Really? Do you know of a company that has both developers and engineers where the distinction is not location?
Where I work, we have both, but it’s purely a location thing. In the American offices we’re called “engineers”, yet my coworkers in Canada are called “developers” despite doing the exact same work. We don’t have “developers” in the US.
It’s usually one or the other. It just doesn’t matter which one
At my first job I was on a contract as a software engineer I with the job title junior developer, because that’s just how the titles mapped
It’s somewhat restricted. You can’t hold yourself out as a civil engineer without passing the exam, for example. For made up jobs like software “engineer” there are no rules — it’s like the FDA with regard to actual food vs. supplements.