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Development technician vs programmer

The differences between development technicians and programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a development technician, becoming a programmer takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a development technician has an average salary of $92,109, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of a programmer.

The top three skills for a development technician include java, C++ and C #. The most important skills for a programmer are java, javascript, and CSS.

Development technician vs programmer overview

Development TechnicianProgrammer
Yearly salary$92,109$73,007
Hourly rate$44.28$35.10
Growth rate21%-7%
Number of jobs82,959234,565
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age3947
Years of experience48

What does a development technician do?

A development technician is an individual who manages technology development for hardware used in the server systems of an organization. Development technicians are required to organize tasks and resources so that they can complete work and meet deadlines that are according to departmental procedures. They must train production personnel on the standard operating procedures for manufacturing equipment as well as train colleagues in standard operating procedures. Development technicians must also assist Java developers in characterizing and debugging technical problems.

What does a programmer do?

Computer programmers provide assistance and services concerning computer applications and software programs. A computer programmer must be highly-knowledgeable on programming languages and operating systems to create projects and fix any malfunctions under minimal supervision. Computer programmers must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to analyze data and request assistance from a senior programmer as needed. They must also be keen on details to oversee possible faulty codes, troubleshooting problems, and upgrading systems to ensure that the program will perform smoothly and efficiently.

Development technician vs programmer salary

Development technicians and programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Development TechnicianProgrammer
Average salary$92,109$73,007
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $134,000Between $54,000 And $98,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCBothell, WA
Highest paying stateDelawareWashington
Best paying companyThe CitadelMayo Clinic
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between development technician and programmer education

There are a few differences between a development technician and a programmer in terms of educational background:

Development TechnicianProgrammer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorComputer ScienceComputer Science
Most common collegeStanford UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Development technician vs programmer demographics

Here are the differences between development technicians' and programmers' demographics:

Development TechnicianProgrammer
Average age3947
Gender ratioMale, 67.6% Female, 32.4%Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 17.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%11%

Differences between development technician and programmer duties and responsibilities

Development technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage document maps to link CSS structure documentation in content database.
  • Manage and administer the company's budget at all levels from payroll to investment.
  • Create a web base portal using MVC, HTML helpers, JQuery and CSS to upload and manage invoices.
  • Leverage SharePoint to manage the quality management documentation and approval process.
  • Manage client relations and coordinate the project effectively between onsite and offshore.
  • Work on HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery to build application logic and UI.
  • Show more

Programmer example responsibilities.

  • Create windows form application to manage flight and passenger information.
  • Utilize Jenkins to automate the building and deploying of these software units.
  • Implement a centralize configuration system for managing application settings, consisting of a desktop application with a WCF backend.
  • Create and automate ETL package to import monthly utility data from several electric utilities using Perl, PHP, and PL/SQL.
  • Convert PowerBuilder payroll applications into Java applications emphasizing user interface and customer requirements.
  • Work directly with the project manager to implement advance HTML and JavaScript solutions design to accurately capture survey data.
  • Show more

Development technician vs programmer skills

Common development technician skills
  • Java, 11%
  • C++, 5%
  • C #, 5%
  • HR, 5%
  • MVC, 5%
  • JQuery, 5%
Common programmer skills
  • Java, 9%
  • JavaScript, 8%
  • CSS, 6%
  • Object Oriented Programming, 6%
  • Python, 5%
  • Data Entry, 5%

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