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The differences between developer support engineers and systems developers 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 support engineer, becoming a systems developer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a developer support engineer has an average salary of $111,050, which is higher than the $97,230 average annual salary of a systems developer.
The top three skills for a developer support engineer include java, C++ and python. The most important skills for a systems developer are java, python, and C++.
| Developer Support Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,050 | $97,230 |
| Hourly rate | $53.39 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 393,440 | 322,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
In the information technology industry, a developer support engineer focuses on assisting developers by designing and solutions according to the projects' needs. Their responsibilities often include developing software and hardware, installing and configuring systems, creating test structures, reviewing specifications, gathering and analyzing data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, a developer support engineer must maintain an active communication line with development teams for a smooth and efficient workflow.
A Systems Developer is responsible for designing and creating software applications and server programs to support business requirements and client specifications. System Developers run multiple diagnostic tests to the systems to ensure performance and stability and revise scripts for optimization as needed. They also evaluate and improve existing networks, develop infrastructure, and set configuration. A Systems Developer must have excellent communication and technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes to identify network structures and operating systems.
Developer support engineers and systems developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer Support Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Average salary | $111,050 | $97,230 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $145,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a developer support engineer and a systems developer in terms of educational background:
| Developer Support Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between developer support engineers' and systems developers' demographics:
| Developer Support Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 16.6% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |