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The differences between operating system 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 an operating system programmer and an applications programmer. Additionally, an applications programmer has an average salary of $85,133, which is higher than the $75,544 average annual salary of an operating system programmer.
The top three skills for an operating system programmer include CNC, technical support and calipers. The most important skills for an applications programmer are java, C++, and database.
| Operating System Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,544 | $85,133 |
| Hourly rate | $36.32 | $40.93 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 31,053 | 215,240 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Operating system programmers and applications programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operating System Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average salary | $75,544 | $85,133 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $107,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | NRG Energy | Dropbox |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between an operating system programmer and an applications programmer in terms of educational background:
| Operating System Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between operating system programmers' and applications programmers' demographics:
| Operating System Programmer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 15.1% White, 66.5% 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% |