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The differences between junior software developers and senior technician specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a junior software developer and a senior technician specialist. Additionally, a senior technician specialist has an average salary of $96,650, which is higher than the $70,486 average annual salary of a junior software developer.
The top three skills for a junior software developer include java, C++ and javascript. The most important skills for a senior technician specialist are patients, customer service, and project management.
| Junior Software Developer | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $70,486 | $96,650 |
| Hourly rate | $33.89 | $46.47 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 281,121 | 56,304 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A junior software developer is an entry-level professional who assists the development manager and the team with all the aspects of software design and coding. With the use of their basic programming knowledge, junior software developers are required to learn the codebase and should improve their skills in coding. They must monitor the performance of the internal systems and work on fixing minor computer bugs. Junior software developers should also gather information from customers about the functionality of the program and report any issues to the development team.
Senior technician specialists are technicians in the office who specialize in a specific activity or task. They are more tenured than entry-level employees and, at times, given bigger responsibilities than their junior counterparts. They may even be asked to lead specific projects. Senior technician specialists are usually involved in the technical or technological needs of the organization. As such, they should be familiar with the different equipment, fixtures, and infrastructure in the office. They are expected to perform installations, repairs, updates, and maintenance. Senior technician specialists should also be able to provide support to office employees on technical and technological aspects.
Junior software developers and senior technician specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Software Developer | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Average salary | $70,486 | $96,650 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $90,000 | Between $68,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior software developer and a senior technician specialist in terms of educational background:
| Junior Software Developer | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior software developers' and senior technician specialists' demographics:
| Junior Software Developer | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.9% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |