As a rule, people know exactly what they will specialize in because they have been dreaming about it since they can remember. You’re one of them, too. You have always been interested in computers, how they work, and what they have inside, haven’t you? Moreover, you want to turn this interest into a profession and make a living with its help.
The only problem:
With so many areas related to computers, you doubt which one to choose: computer science or computer engineering. This article will help you make the final decision.
Roles and responsibilities
When comparing two areas that seem similar to many people, let’s start by comparing the job responsibilities of a computer scientist and a computer engineer.
What does a computer scientist do?
We can say that a computer scientist has several responsibilities. Most importantly, they understand the theoretical aspects of working with computers and technologies. They use their knowledge of how technology processes information and apply it to the computer programs they create.
Computer scientists usually work at software companies, research companies, social media companies, and manufacturers. They think about how to develop software that would answer questions about the nature of computing, data processing, storage, and transmitting via computing devices.
Some of the specific job responsibilities of computer scientists include:
- Studying data structure and algorithms, database theory, computer graphics, computer vision, and many other fields
- Improving the performance of existing software and computer systems
- Creating new products and solving computer problems
- Working with members of departments such as programmers, mechanical engineers, electricians, or software developers to find solutions to problems that their product may have
- Studying and experimenting in the areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality
- Developing new computing technologies
What does a computer engineer do?
Computer engineering is a general term for three fields: hardware, software, and network engineering. So when the question of what does a computer engineer do arises, you don’t get a definite answer; you get three:
- Hardware engineers design and maintain products in their physical form.
- Software engineers work with software development, computer programming, and smartphone applications.
- Network engineers design and maintain network systems.
However, since we don’t focus on any particular field of engineering, we provide some general job responsibilities for these specialists:
- Researching computer hardware and software
- Designing and testing elements of computer equipment, such as processors, printed circuit boards, routers, etc.
- Writing and evaluating software for mobile devices and computers
- Operating system management
- Creating programs that support various products and services
- Designing and testing robots
Job prospects
Now let’s continue by turning to the employment prospects these two areas provide to those in computer science and computer engineering.
The field of computer science
Without a doubt, the high-tech industry is thriving. Fortunately for people who plan to work with something related to technology, the numbers show that this prosperity will not stop, at least in the next decade.
Experts suppose the employment rate in computer science will grow by 15% from 2019 to 2029, which is above the average growth rate.
The field of computer engineering
Although it was predAlthough some predicted that employment prospects for engineers would grow by 4% from 2014 to 2024, this does not seem to apply to computer engineering. The projected growth rate here is 2% between 2019 and 2029, which will be slower than average.
Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering Salaries
As for salaries, they are not much different. The average annual salary of computer science specialists As for salaries, they are not much different. The average annual salary of computer science specialists is about $119,840 per year. At the same time, the average wage of computer engineers was $110,238 per year.
Education
Another essential factor to consider when choosing between the two options is the educational requirements for entering the field. Let’s take a closer look below:
Requirements for computer scientists
As in any other field, you will need to meet several educational requirements to get a job in computer science. However, it all depends on the job you are looking for.
For some, a Bachelor’s degree in computer science is more than enough, while some positions may require a higher level of education. If you do some quick calculations, it will take from four to six years to finally join the field of computer science.
If you are in the IT field already and want to switch your qualification or get new skills, online courses or coding bootcamps with programs in computer science may be an option to consider.
Requirements for computer engineers
As for computer engineering, a Bachelor’s degree is usually the minimum required level of education. A potential employee must have a diploma in computer engineering, computer science, computer programming, or a similar computer-related field.
As well as with computer science, specialists who already have IT-related diplomas but want to learn to engineer for new skills, alternative job opportunities, or higher salaries can try online education.
Specializations
While you may want to obtain a degree in computer science and computer engineering in general, it is not the only option. Both niches have different sub-disciplines to choose from within these programs. It will help you narrow down your field of study.
Computer science specializations
- Computer and network security
- Artificial intelligence
- Human-computer interaction
- Bioinformatics
- Software Engineering
- Mobile and web computing
- Game design
- Computer graphics
- Data Science
- Programming Languages
Computer engineering specializations
- Hardware systems
- Robotics and Cybernetics
- Computer and network security
- Distributed Computing
- Embedded systems
Are computer science and computer engineering the same thing?
It’s easy to get confused when trying to understand the difference between computer science and engineering. Although it’s not the same thing, these two areas have some connection: Both work together to create computer devices that we use every day.
To summarize what we have already discussed, computer science is a field focusing on the theoretical aspect of programming and algorithms development. In its turn, computer engineering is about creating computers and computer elements.
