The Picard ManeuverAs someone not in tech, I have no idea how to refer to my tech friends' jobs
dan“engineer” is different to “programmer”. A programmer writes code, while an engineer does more than that, including system design and architecture.
soggy_kittyA programmer can call themselves an engineer if they want. There’s no laws against it.
Therefore it doesn’t matter what you call yourself.
In Canada the term “Engineer” is a protected title that only registered professional engineers may use. Claiming to be an engineer without such credentials is considered equivalent to claiming to be a doctor of medicine; It constitutes fraud.
There are many countries where there is a law against it. Maybe the USA isn’t one of them.