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The differences between senior applications engineers and applications developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior applications engineer, becoming an applications developer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior applications engineer has an average salary of $107,989, which is higher than the $89,205 average annual salary of an applications developer.
The top three skills for a senior applications engineer include java, C++ and database. The most important skills for an applications developer are java, javascript, and C++.
| Senior Applications Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,989 | $89,205 |
| Hourly rate | $51.92 | $42.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 274,466 | 279,877 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A senior applications engineer specializes in designing and developing a variety of applications and systems, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities typically revolve around utilizing feedback and client needs when making decisions, creating test structures for applications, performing installment and repairs, troubleshooting, and performing regular maintenance checks and upgrades. Furthermore, as a senior applications engineer, it is essential to lead and encourage the engineering team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
An application developer is responsible for creating program applications for devices based on clients' specifications and business needs. Application developers must have excellent knowledge of computer systems, as well as a strong command of programming languages to develop customized programs. Duties of an application developer also include running diagnostic tests to ensure the application's performance and stability, providing instruction manuals for reference, performing troubleshooting for any inconsistencies, upgrading design codes for optimization, and launching the application following the client's timetable.
Senior applications engineers and applications developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Applications Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Average salary | $107,989 | $89,205 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $138,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Netflix | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior applications engineer and an applications developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Applications Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior applications engineers' and applications developers' demographics:
| Senior Applications Engineer | Applications Developer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |