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The differences between junior software developers and systems developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a junior software developer, becoming a systems developer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a systems developer has an average salary of $97,230, 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 systems developer are java, python, and C++.
| Junior Software Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,486 | $97,230 |
| Hourly rate | $33.89 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 281,121 | 322,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A Systems Developer is responsible for designing and creating software applications and server programs to support business requirements and client specifications. System Developers run multiple diagnostic tests to the systems to ensure performance and stability and revise scripts for optimization as needed. They also evaluate and improve existing networks, develop infrastructure, and set configuration. A Systems Developer must have excellent communication and technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes to identify network structures and operating systems.
Junior software developers and systems developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Software Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Average salary | $70,486 | $97,230 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $90,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a junior software developer and a systems developer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Software Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between junior software developers' and systems developers' demographics:
| Junior Software Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 16.6% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |