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The differences between principal developers and applications developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal developer and an applications developer. Additionally, a principal developer has an average salary of $126,772, which is higher than the $89,205 average annual salary of an applications developer.
The top three skills for a principal developer include java, apis and architecture. The most important skills for an applications developer are java, javascript, and C++.
| Principal Developer | Applications Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $126,772 | $89,205 |
| Hourly rate | $60.95 | $42.89 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 303,930 | 279,877 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
In the information technology industry, a principal developer is in charge of spearheading software and application development projects. It is their duty to perform extensive research and analysis, set objectives and guidelines, establish budgets and timelines, lead the planning and implementation stages, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff to resolve issues should any arise. Moreover, as a principal developer, they must monitor the projects' workflow to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
An application developer is responsible for creating program applications for devices based on clients' specifications and business needs. Application developers must have excellent knowledge of computer systems, as well as a strong command of programming languages to develop customized programs. Duties of an application developer also include running diagnostic tests to ensure the application's performance and stability, providing instruction manuals for reference, performing troubleshooting for any inconsistencies, upgrading design codes for optimization, and launching the application following the client's timetable.
Principal developers and applications developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Developer | Applications Developer | |
| Average salary | $126,772 | $89,205 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $166,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a principal developer and an applications developer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Developer | Applications Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal developers' and applications developers' demographics:
| Principal Developer | Applications Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |