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The differences between applications development specialists and specialists 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 development specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an applications development specialist has an average salary of $99,856, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for an applications development specialist include java, application development and C++. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Applications Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $99,856 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $48.01 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 74,373 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An applications development specialist focuses on the design and coding of an application or software for a company. The development specialist's job is to determine the most efficient method to develop a program without sacrificing quality. It is also the position's task to ensure that a program is a solution to its needs and other problems identified through feedback from employees. The applications development specialist is also part of the backend team and can work alongside the research and development department when creating new software to be sold to the market.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Applications development specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $99,856 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $127,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | MUFG EMEA | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between an applications development specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Applications Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between applications development specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Applications Development Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.2% Female, 27.8% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |