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The differences between senior application programmers and senior software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a senior application programmer, becoming a senior software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior software engineer has an average salary of $114,494, which is higher than the $113,636 average annual salary of a senior application programmer.
The top three skills for a senior application programmer include java, database and javascript. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Senior Application Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $113,636 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $54.63 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 198,092 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
Senior application programmers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Application Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $113,636 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $156,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Citi | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior application programmer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Application Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior application programmers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Application Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.9% Female, 21.1% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |