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The differences between applications support engineers and applications developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an applications support engineer and an applications developer. Additionally, an applications support engineer has an average salary of $89,928, which is higher than the $89,205 average annual salary of an applications developer.
The top three skills for an applications support engineer include java, application support and database. The most important skills for an applications developer are java, javascript, and C++.
| Applications Support Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,928 | $89,205 |
| Hourly rate | $43.23 | $42.89 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 222,780 | 279,877 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An applications support engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the application and network systems to support business operations and functions. Applications support engineers work on the installation of updates, upgrade system infrastructure, and resolve technical process issues and gaps. They also analyze the condition of existing applications and modify procedures to improve stability and configuration. An applications support engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills to identify failure sources and create resolution manuals to prevent downtime reoccurrence.
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.
Applications support engineers and applications developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Support Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Average salary | $89,928 | $89,205 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $120,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | ICE Mortgage Technology | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an applications support engineer and an applications developer in terms of educational background:
| Applications Support Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between applications support engineers' and applications developers' demographics:
| Applications Support Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |