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The differences between principal 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 principal developer, becoming a systems developer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal developer has an average salary of $126,772, which is higher than the $97,230 average annual salary of a systems developer.
The top three skills for a principal developer include java, apis and architecture. The most important skills for a systems developer are java, python, and C++.
| Principal Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $126,772 | $97,230 |
| Hourly rate | $60.95 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 303,930 | 322,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
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.
Principal developers and systems developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Average salary | $126,772 | $97,230 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $166,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a principal developer and a systems developer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal developers' and systems developers' demographics:
| Principal Developer | Systems Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% |
| 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, 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% |