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The differences between systems developers and software engineers 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 software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Systems Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,230 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $46.75 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 322,419 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Systems developers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,230 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $129,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a systems developer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between systems developers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Systems Developer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |