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The differences between devops engineers and senior applications engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a devops engineer, becoming a senior applications engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior applications engineer has an average salary of $107,989, which is higher than the $104,019 average annual salary of a devops engineer.
The top three skills for a devops engineer include python, docker and java. The most important skills for a senior applications engineer are java, C++, and database.
| Devops Engineer | Senior Applications Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,019 | $107,989 |
| Hourly rate | $50.01 | $51.92 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 257,025 | 274,466 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
DevOps engineers are practitioners of DevOps, a software development strategy that aims to bridge the gap between computer software development and information technology (IT) operations. They work closely with computer software developers and other IT staff to manage code deployments and releases. Their duties include overseeing the IT infrastructure supporting software code in different environments, choosing a suitable deployment model, and directing testing protocol needed to validate releases. Other tasks they may likely perform include preparing test data, analyzing results, and troubleshooting issues and problems.
A senior applications engineer specializes in designing and developing a variety of applications and systems, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities typically revolve around utilizing feedback and client needs when making decisions, creating test structures for applications, performing installment and repairs, troubleshooting, and performing regular maintenance checks and upgrades. Furthermore, as a senior applications engineer, it is essential to lead and encourage the engineering team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Devops engineers and senior applications engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Devops Engineer | Senior Applications Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,019 | $107,989 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $135,000 | Between $84,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a devops engineer and a senior applications engineer in terms of educational background:
| Devops Engineer | Senior Applications Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between devops engineers' and senior applications engineers' demographics:
| Devops Engineer | Senior Applications Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |