What does a senior programmer do?
A Senior Programmer develops operations solutions through guiding the development of program specifications and leading programmers. They develop, test, and implement IT solutions.
Senior programmer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior programmer resumes:
- Acquire depth knowledge in ADAM, the tool which manages all the assets.
- Install and manage FTP server.
- Develop several small tools to automate certain processes (python).
- Lead a team investigating carrier-grade Linux enhancements leading to a $350,000 sale.
- Develop Perl scripts to automate manual work, dramatically reducing the overall time span.
- Reduce previous single 26 file game into one easy to manage SWF file by making static content dynamic XML driven.
- Design and programme collaborative web application viewers using ArcGIS JavaScript API.
- Design and implementation of new user interface features with Ajax, HTML, and JSP.
- Develop C/C++ programs for bibliographical database in a UNIX environment
- Designed/developed business tax software using XML to communicate to IRS database for electronic filing.
- Develop the UI using HTML5, CSS, JSTL tags, Ajax and JSON.
- Used JUnit for unit testing.
- Follow agile scrum process with clients.
- Import excel spreadsheet into database using VBA.
- Create UI layout primarily compatible for IE browsers
Senior programmer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Senior Programmers are proficient in Macro, SAS, and Database. They’re also known for soft skills such as Troubleshooting skills, Detail oriented, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Programmers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Macro, 12%
Led solutions engineering that involved process automation, macro conversion and functionality enhancement.
- SAS, 10%
Conducted and documented statistical analyses and generated reports using SAS for clinical study reports, conference presentation and manuscript submission.
- Database, 8%
Provided analysis and implemented database conversions along with batch and on-line programming changes necessary for an expanded medical record number.
- C++, 7%
Implemented C++ library to provide abstracted IBM 3270 terminal communications and allow rapid development of applications.
- Adam, 5%
Developed programs such as standard CDISC SDTM & ADAM domain models according to specs using SAS/BASE, SAS/SQL and SAS/MACRO.
- Java, 4%
Designed the functional specifications and architecture of the web-based module using Java Technologies.
"macro," "sas," and "database" are among the most common skills that senior programmers use at work. You can find even more senior programmer responsibilities below, including:
Troubleshooting skills. One of the key soft skills for a senior programmer to have is troubleshooting skills. You can see how this relates to what senior programmers do because "an important part of a programmer’s job is to check the code for errors and fix any they find." Additionally, a senior programmer resume shows how senior programmers use troubleshooting skills: "assisted in troubleshooting in the event of failed etl jobs and analysis of the logs. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling senior programmer duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "computer programmers must closely examine the code they write because a small mistake can affect the entire computer program." According to a senior programmer resume, here's how senior programmers can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "designed object-oriented applications using ms office and vba to improve business processing efficiency. "
Analytical skills. This is an important skill for senior programmers to perform their duties. For an example of how senior programmer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "computer programmers must understand complex instructions in order to create computer code." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a senior programmer: "designed clinical databases and wrote programs to generate tables, graphs, and statistical summaries for fda and nda submissions. ".
The three companies that hire the most senior programmers are:
- QuintilesIMS143 senior programmers jobs
- Public Consulting Group57 senior programmers jobs
- Merck50 senior programmers jobs
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Compare different senior programmers
Senior programmer vs. Lead software developer
A lead software developer is responsible for creating and designing software applications and systems to support business functions and client requirements. Lead software developers analyze specifications to build efficient applications, conduct multiple quality testing, and enhance the user's interface. They also coordinate with the design engineers to modify and improve the features of existing software applications for optimal performance. A lead software developer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in considering the current technology trends to meet demands.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, senior programmer responsibilities require skills like "macro," "sas," "database," and "adam." Meanwhile a typical lead software developer has skills in areas such as "architecture," "software development," "python," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Lead software developers tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $115,917. In contrast, senior programmers make the biggest average salary, $108,353, in the pharmaceutical industry.On average, lead software developers reach similar levels of education than senior programmers. Lead software developers are 4.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior programmer vs. Lead developer
A lead developer is responsible for creating software programs and applications, following the client and the business's software quality standards and design specifications. Lead developers assist a team of developers in implementing strategic procedures, managing system codes, debugging applications, running diagnostic tests, and troubleshooting defects to ensure its smooth performance. They also respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, performing feature adjustments as needed. A lead developer must have strong knowledge of the technology industry and command on programming languages and software design processes.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, senior programmer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "macro," "sas," "database," and "adam." Meanwhile, a lead developer has duties that require skills in areas such as "architecture," "git," "digital transformation," and "ui." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Lead developers earn a higher average salary than senior programmers. But lead developers earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $119,501. Additionally, senior programmers earn the highest salaries in the pharmaceutical with average pay of $108,353 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Lead developers tend to reach similar levels of education than senior programmers. In fact, they're 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for senior programmers in the next 3-5 years?
Frank McCown Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Harding University
Senior programmer vs. Software developer
A software developer is responsible for designing application systems to support the user and business' needs. Duties of a software developer include testing software codes, performing diagnostic programs and troubleshooting, interpreting system data and establishing efficient parameters, and ensuring the compatibility of the systems. A software developer must have an excellent knowledge of computer programs and programming languages to understand its complexities, especially on detecting system defects and malfunctions. A software developer must have strong attention to detail, communication, and decision-making skills to coordinate with the team and also work independently under minimal supervision.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, senior programmers are more likely to have skills like "macro," "sas," "adam," and "sql server." But a software developer is more likely to have skills like "python," "software development," "git," and "scrum."
Software developers make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $96,138. On the other hand, senior programmers are paid the highest salary in the pharmaceutical industry, with average annual pay of $108,353.software developers typically earn similar educational levels compared to senior programmers. Specifically, they're 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior programmer vs. Applications developer
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.
Types of senior programmer
Updated January 8, 2025
