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The differences between applications programmers and developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an applications programmer, becoming a developer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a developer has an average salary of $100,076, which is higher than the $85,133 average annual salary of an applications programmer.
The top three skills for an applications programmer include java, C++ and database. The most important skills for a developer are javascript, python, and java.
| Applications Programmer | Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,133 | $100,076 |
| Hourly rate | $40.93 | $48.11 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 215,240 | 262,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
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.
Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible. They are responsible for designing the system through coding and basic user interface design. They also work on troubleshooting any challenges that may be met at the testing stage of the program's development. They solve challenges and ensure that minimal problems will arise upon publishing the system or application. They also manage the evaluation to ensure that the program's goals are accomplished and that the end-users are satisfied with the results.
Applications programmers and developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Programmer | Developer | |
| Average salary | $85,133 | $100,076 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $112,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Dropbox | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an applications programmer and a developer in terms of educational background:
| Applications Programmer | Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between applications programmers' and developers' demographics:
| Applications Programmer | Developer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |