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The differences between game programmers and applications programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a game programmer and an applications programmer. Additionally, a game programmer has an average salary of $94,000, which is higher than the $85,133 average annual salary of an applications programmer.
The top three skills for a game programmer include unreal engine, game development and math. The most important skills for an applications programmer are java, C++, and database.
| Game Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,000 | $85,133 |
| Hourly rate | $45.19 | $40.93 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 186,952 | 215,240 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A game programmer is a type of software engineer who works in the gaming industry. They write code for games and work closely with other departments like game design and animation. If they are the lead programmer, they may be expected to assign jobs and manage the whole development process. If they are not the lead, they may be expected to develop codes so the game has 2D and 3D graphics.
An application programmer is responsible for creating and designing computer systems and applications according to client specifications and business requirements. Application programmers run quality checks on the draft outputs to ensure its stability and efficiency for high-level performance. They also evaluate existing applications and recommend technical solutions to improve scalability. An application programmer must have excellent technical skills with a strong command of programming languages and system codes to determine the feasibility of applications and adjust features as needed.
Game programmers and applications programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average salary | $94,000 | $85,133 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $134,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Dropbox |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a game programmer and an applications programmer in terms of educational background:
| Game Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between game programmers' and applications programmers' demographics:
| Game Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 19.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 16.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |