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The differences between scientific programmers and systems 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 systems programmer. Additionally, a systems programmer has an average salary of $96,017, which is higher than the $83,969 average annual salary of a scientific programmer.
The top three skills for a scientific programmer include python, visualization and linux. The most important skills for a systems programmer are provide technical assistance, video conferencing, and C++.
| Scientific Programmer | Systems Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,969 | $96,017 |
| Hourly rate | $40.37 | $46.16 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 120,563 | 257,681 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 systems programmer is responsible for managing and installing software systems and applications to the company's computer networks to support the efficiency of business functions and operations. Systems programmers coordinate with the systems analyst to conduct quality checks and running configuration tests to ensure the stability of applications and avoid downtimes. They also create resolution reports, design servers, and upgrade network infrastructure as often as needed. A systems programmer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially the expert command of programming languages and codes.
Scientific programmers and systems programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientific Programmer | Systems Programmer | |
| Average salary | $83,969 | $96,017 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $122,000 | Between $66,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tech Data | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a scientific programmer and a systems programmer in terms of educational background:
| Scientific Programmer | Systems Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 systems programmers' demographics:
| Scientific Programmer | Systems Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 84.0% Female, 16.0% |
| 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, 5.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 14.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |