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The differences between developers and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a developer, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a developer has an average salary of $100,076, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a developer include javascript, python and java. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Developer | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $100,076 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $48.11 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 262,570 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible. They are responsible for designing the system through coding and basic user interface design. They also work on troubleshooting any challenges that may be met at the testing stage of the program's development. They solve challenges and ensure that minimal problems will arise upon publishing the system or application. They also manage the evaluation to ensure that the program's goals are accomplished and that the end-users are satisfied with the results.
The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.
Developers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $100,076 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $131,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a developer and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Developer | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between developers' and general contractors' demographics:
| Developer | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |