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The differences between scientific programmers and 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 programmer. Additionally, a scientific programmer has an average salary of $83,969, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of a programmer.
The top three skills for a scientific programmer include python, visualization and linux. The most important skills for a programmer are java, javascript, and CSS.
| Scientific Programmer | Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,969 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $40.37 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 120,563 | 234,565 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Computer programmers provide assistance and services concerning computer applications and software programs. A computer programmer must be highly-knowledgeable on programming languages and operating systems to create projects and fix any malfunctions under minimal supervision. Computer programmers must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to analyze data and request assistance from a senior programmer as needed. They must also be keen on details to oversee possible faulty codes, troubleshooting problems, and upgrading systems to ensure that the program will perform smoothly and efficiently.
Scientific programmers and programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Programmer | Programmer | |
| Average salary | $83,969 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $122,000 | Between $54,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | Bothell, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Tech Data | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a scientific programmer and a programmer in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Programmer | Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between scientific programmers' and programmers' demographics:
| Scientific Programmer | Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 17.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |