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The differences between software applications designers and applications programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a software applications designer, becoming an applications programmer takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an applications programmer has an average salary of $85,133, which is higher than the $81,614 average annual salary of a software applications designer.
The top three skills for a software applications designer include functional specifications, java and DB2. The most important skills for an applications programmer are java, C++, and database.
| Software Applications Designer | Applications Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,614 | $85,133 |
| Hourly rate | $39.24 | $40.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 228,722 | 215,240 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
Software applications designers and applications programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Applications Designer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average salary | $81,614 | $85,133 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $122,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Middletown, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | AIG | Dropbox |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software applications designer and an applications programmer in terms of educational background:
| Software Applications Designer | Applications Programmer | |
| 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 software applications designers' and applications programmers' demographics:
| Software Applications Designer | Applications Programmer | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3% | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 16.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |