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The differences between scientific programmers and computer programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a scientific programmer and a computer programmer. Additionally, a scientific programmer has an average salary of $83,969, which is higher than the $70,979 average annual salary of a computer programmer.
The top three skills for a scientific programmer include python, visualization and linux. The most important skills for a computer programmer are C #, java, and javascript.
| Scientific Programmer | Computer Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,969 | $70,979 |
| Hourly rate | $40.37 | $34.12 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 120,563 | 205,491 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Scientific programmers are professionals who meet with scientists and researchers to determine and understand their program needs. By using their skills in scientific programming, these programmers must write programs from scratch or create by extensively customizing existing tools. They are required to work with senior programmers so that they can enhance their application development knowledge and skills. They must also assist in product testing with research students and collaborate with design engineers and production technicians when conducting system troubleshooting.
A Computer Programmer is a specialist in writing computer programs as well as mobile applications. In addition to writing and testing code written, they are responsible for installing updates for software, debugging or improving functionality, troubleshooting parts of the program that is not functioning, and rewriting code for computer programs to be compatible in different operating systems. They also work to prevent data leaks and breaches in security by identifying malicious software and building firewalls.
Scientific programmers and computer programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Programmer | Computer Programmer | |
| Average salary | $83,969 | $70,979 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $122,000 | Between $55,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Tech Data | |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a scientific programmer and a computer programmer in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Programmer | Computer Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Chicago |
Here are the differences between scientific programmers' and computer programmers' demographics:
| Scientific Programmer | Computer Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |