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The differences between contract programmer analysts and applications programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a contract programmer analyst, becoming an applications programmer takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an applications programmer has an average salary of $85,133, which is higher than the $83,957 average annual salary of a contract programmer analyst.
The top three skills for a contract programmer analyst include sql server, access database and cobol ii. The most important skills for an applications programmer are java, C++, and database.
| Contract Programmer Analyst | Applications Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,957 | $85,133 |
| Hourly rate | $40.36 | $40.93 |
| Growth rate | 9% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 38,517 | 215,240 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
A Contract Programmer Analyst writes computer code used in software applications. They plan, design, schedule, write, and debug software for websites. They work on a part-time or contract basis for software publishers, government agencies, small or large businesses, and other organizations.
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.
Contract programmer analysts and applications programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Programmer Analyst | Applications Programmer | |
| Average salary | $83,957 | $85,133 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $110,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Dropbox |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a contract programmer analyst and an applications programmer in terms of educational background:
| Contract Programmer Analyst | Applications Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between contract programmer analysts' and applications programmers' demographics:
| Contract Programmer Analyst | Applications Programmer | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.9% Female, 23.1% | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.6% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |