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The differences between applications programmers and software engineers 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 software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Applications Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,133 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $40.93 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 215,240 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Applications programmers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,133 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $112,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Dropbox | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an applications programmer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Applications Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between applications programmers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Applications Programmer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |