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The differences between systems developers and project 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 project developer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a systems developer has an average salary of $97,230, which is higher than the $89,766 average annual salary of a project developer.
The top three skills for a systems developer include java, python and C++. The most important skills for a project developer are project development, renewable energy, and project management.
| Systems Developer | Project Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,230 | $89,766 |
| Hourly rate | $46.75 | $43.16 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 322,419 | 303,850 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Project developers research aspects of each project to check that it follows all regulations and to complete the project on time and under the budget. They are responsible for overseeing various projects for their companies. They staff the project and make necessary purchases. Staffing could include hiring contractors and hiring new employees for the company. Their tasks are to report and resolve issues blocking work on project elements, develop project timeline and milestones with mitigation planning, and establish critical requirements of a project through stakeholder assessment.
Systems developers and project developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Developer | Project Developer | |
| Average salary | $97,230 | $89,766 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $129,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a systems developer and a project developer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Developer | Project Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems developers' and project developers' demographics:
| Systems Developer | Project Developer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| 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, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |