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The differences between senior programmers and applications developers 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 programmer, becoming an applications developer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior programmer has an average salary of $105,509, which is higher than the $89,205 average annual salary of an applications developer.
The top three skills for a senior programmer include macro, SAS and database. The most important skills for an applications developer are java, javascript, and C++.
| Senior Programmer | Applications Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $105,509 | $89,205 |
| Hourly rate | $50.73 | $42.89 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 209,882 | 279,877 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A Senior Programmer develops operations solutions through guiding the development of program specifications and leading programmers. They develop, test, and implement IT solutions.
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 programmers and applications developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Programmer | Applications Developer | |
| Average salary | $105,509 | $89,205 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $141,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone Research | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior programmer and an applications developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Programmer | Applications Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior programmers' and applications developers' demographics:
| Senior Programmer | Applications Developer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 11% | 8% |