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The differences between engineering programmers and programmer analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an engineering programmer, becoming a programmer analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineering programmer has an average salary of $95,776, which is higher than the $71,563 average annual salary of a programmer analyst.
The top three skills for an engineering programmer include C++, troubleshoot and PC. The most important skills for a programmer analyst are sql server, C++, and java.
| Engineering Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $95,776 | $71,563 |
| Hourly rate | $46.05 | $34.41 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 245,309 | 248,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
Running programs on a computer is tough to understand, so an engineering programmer's expertise is needed. They often work alongside software programmers to improve their works, apply their creations and run them on the computer. They assist computer programmers in creating a software program to locate, store, secure, and retrieve data and design software solutions for future computer difficulties. In a company, they can be part of the team that handles customer complaints online and run software to work with it, or they can provide software that oversees staffs' work ethics.
A programmer analyst is responsible for monitoring database performance and software applications, performing basic troubleshooting, and improving program operations as needed. Programmer analysts' duties also include making adjustments on the system based on client's specifications, creating reports for any updates and new system procedures, designing specific technology solutions to improve the business operations, and performing necessary code adjustments. A programmer analyst must have extensive knowledge of computer systems and procedures, as well as critical-thinking skills to perform complex tasks under minimal supervision.
Engineering programmers and programmer analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Average salary | $95,776 | $71,563 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $138,000 | Between $55,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between an engineering programmer and a programmer analyst in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between engineering programmers' and programmer analysts' demographics:
| Engineering Programmer | Programmer Analyst | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 14.9% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |