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The differences between computational linguists and program developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a computational linguist and a program developer. Additionally, a computational linguist has an average salary of $79,804, which is higher than the $74,749 average annual salary of a program developer.
The top three skills for a computational linguist include python, NLP and java. The most important skills for a program developer are development programs, community outreach, and project management.
| Computational Linguist | Program Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,804 | $74,749 |
| Hourly rate | $38.37 | $35.94 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 316 | 128,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A computational linguist is a computer expert who specializes in language and artificial intelligence programs. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, identifying the company's needs, developing language programs, studying client feedback, establishing test structures, and performing regular maintenance checks to ensure quality and efficiency. They typically manage teams throughout the design and development procedures, providing consultations and guidelines. Furthermore, as a computational linguist, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with team members for a smooth workflow.
A software developer is mostly responsible for the development, implementation, and design of new or modified software products or current business projects. They typically work within the IT department of a company and will be involved in coordinating with the business analysts and development managers to guarantee software projects meet standard requirements. They do complex tasks from testing to evaluating new program design, modification of existing programs, and subsequently developing these modifications. In addition, deploying software tools, maintaining and upgrading existing systems are also part of their responsibilities.
Computational linguists and program developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computational Linguist | Program Developer | |
| Average salary | $79,804 | $74,749 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $122,000 | Between $47,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Apple | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a computational linguist and a program developer in terms of educational background:
| Computational Linguist | Program Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Linguistics | Business |
| Most common college | University of California - Los Angeles | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between computational linguists' and program developers' demographics:
| Computational Linguist | Program Developer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 18.3% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 15.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |