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The differences between applications & systems engineers and systems engineers 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 & systems engineer, becoming a systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an applications & systems engineer has an average salary of $97,919, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for an applications & systems engineer include application development, C++ and java. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Applications & Systems Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,919 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $47.08 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 367,806 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An applications and systems engineer is an information technology (IT) expert whose responsibilities revolve around designing and developing applications and systems to optimize company operations. They typically perform internal assessments to identify company needs, evaluate existing systems and applications to determine areas needing improvements, establish testing structures, and providing solutions for different IT issues. Furthermore, as an application and systems engineer, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on IT systems and networks, ensuring efficiency and providing corrective measures as needed.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Applications & systems engineers and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications & Systems Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,919 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $129,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an applications & systems engineer and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Applications & Systems Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between applications & systems engineers' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Applications & Systems Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |