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The differences between systems developers and 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 systems developer, becoming a developer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a developer has an average salary of $100,076, which is higher than the $97,230 average annual salary of a systems developer.
The top three skills for a systems developer include java, python and C++. The most important skills for a developer are javascript, python, and java.
| Systems Developer | Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,230 | $100,076 |
| Hourly rate | $46.75 | $48.11 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 322,419 | 262,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A Systems Developer is responsible for designing and creating software applications and server programs to support business requirements and client specifications. System Developers run multiple diagnostic tests to the systems to ensure performance and stability and revise scripts for optimization as needed. They also evaluate and improve existing networks, develop infrastructure, and set configuration. A Systems Developer must have excellent communication and technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes to identify network structures and operating systems.
Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible. They are responsible for designing the system through coding and basic user interface design. They also work on troubleshooting any challenges that may be met at the testing stage of the program's development. They solve challenges and ensure that minimal problems will arise upon publishing the system or application. They also manage the evaluation to ensure that the program's goals are accomplished and that the end-users are satisfied with the results.
Systems developers and developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Developer | Developer | |
| Average salary | $97,230 | $100,076 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $129,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Finance |
There are a few differences between a systems developer and a developer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Developer | Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | 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 systems developers' and developers' demographics:
| Systems Developer | Developer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 16.6% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |