I am first and foremost a software guy, but I work in a systems group. I write hardware device interfaces. I solve problems in the physical world. Motion control, digital imaging, electronics. Many of the problems I solve on a daily basis are problems of physics, yet I solve them (mostly) in software. I think the term "software engineer" applies here. Let's not forget that there are many, many engineers just like me who do not write CRUD and web apps every day.