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The differences between applications developers and applications programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an applications developer, becoming an applications programmer takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an applications developer has an average salary of $89,205, which is higher than the $85,133 average annual salary of an applications programmer.
The top three skills for an applications developer include java, javascript and C++. The most important skills for an applications programmer are java, C++, and database.
| Applications Developer | Applications Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,205 | $85,133 |
| Hourly rate | $42.89 | $40.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 279,877 | 215,240 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
An application developer is responsible for creating program applications for devices based on clients' specifications and business needs. Application developers must have excellent knowledge of computer systems, as well as a strong command of programming languages to develop customized programs. Duties of an application developer also include running diagnostic tests to ensure the application's performance and stability, providing instruction manuals for reference, performing troubleshooting for any inconsistencies, upgrading design codes for optimization, and launching the application following the client's timetable.
An application programmer is responsible for creating and designing computer systems and applications according to client specifications and business requirements. Application programmers run quality checks on the draft outputs to ensure its stability and efficiency for high-level performance. They also evaluate existing applications and recommend technical solutions to improve scalability. An application programmer must have excellent technical skills with a strong command of programming languages and system codes to determine the feasibility of applications and adjust features as needed.
Applications developers and applications programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Developer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average salary | $89,205 | $85,133 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $118,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Dropbox |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an applications developer and an applications programmer in terms of educational background:
| Applications Developer | Applications Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between applications developers' and applications programmers' demographics:
| Applications Developer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 16.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |