The State of Devs 2025 survey results are now available, and they contain quite a few interesting insights! I encourage you to check out the whole ...
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
In the UK software developers with evidence of experience and qualification can register as a chartered Engineer. This is a protected title. It does show you've had senior responsibilities.
Real developers don’t let charts define them. The problem isn’t being called “frontend” — it’s whether you build real systems or just assemble templates. Calling yourself something else won’t raise your value. Building what others can’t — will.
Not sure if you've read the whole thing, but the title was a bit tongue-in-cheek. As the article show the title itself has little to do with the income discrepancy. The (likely) cause is that the term "engineer" is used more commonly for positions in larger companies, which also pay more.
So it's not so much what you call yourself, but what kind of position you apply to.
Totally understood the tone — but for many devs reading posts like this, even tongue-in-cheek titles reinforce the wrong instincts: to chase labels instead of build capability. Most will walk away thinking “rebrand for more money” instead of “develop deeper skill so it doesn’t matter what you're called.”
If we’re telling devs to chase roles with better-sounding titles rather than build the skill sets those roles demand, we’re teaching brand strategy, not engineering.
Whether you're called "engineer" or "developer" doesn’t matter — what matters is whether you can build systems that justify either.
definitely don't refer to yourself as a vibe coder...
Do we have data of developer whose their job description doesn't match his tasks? (Like me)?
No, maybe next time we can ask about what actual tasks people perform in more details.
Looking forward to it. Thanks!
This is why I call myself a Web Application Engineer - full-stack dev just sounds too much like what I don't want to do.
I've enjoyed all of the research you've put into this project, it adds up. Reminds me why I like geeking out on these surveys
In my country, to be recognized as a Software Engineer, you have to go through a very specific university program. This path demands a lot of study in physics, electronics, automation, telecommunications, and then how to apply software development to solve real-life, multi-disciplinary problems effectively.
If you pursue Computer Science, focusing mainly on software development skills, you're not typically considered an engineer here; you're more of a scientist, strong on the theoretical side.
But honestly, I think my country is a bit stuck in the past; the world has evolved so much. Nowadays, there isn't really a clear-cut distinction between a developer and an engineer in practice. Still, a Computer Scientist leans more towards the theoretical, logical, and mathematical aspects, whereas an Engineer focuses more on the hardware, electronic, and automation side of things.
Personally, I hold an Italian IT diploma (or high school diploma in Computer Science). I didn't go to university, but I had an intensive study path focused on computer science, systems, statistics, electronics, and mathematics. I spent 6 hours a day, for 3 consecutive years, diving deep into these subjects, including Assembly and C++. I identify as a frontend developer because I mainly work on the frontend part of applications, and I don't have a specific engineering university degree.