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The differences between systems engineers and systems developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a systems engineer, becoming a systems developer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a systems developer has an average salary of $97,230, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a systems engineer include python, linux and C++. The most important skills for a systems developer are java, python, and C++.
| Systems Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,834 | $97,230 |
| Hourly rate | $39.82 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 145,936 | 322,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
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.
Systems engineers and systems developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Average salary | $82,834 | $97,230 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $109,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a systems engineer and a systems developer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between systems engineers' and systems developers' demographics:
| Systems Engineer | Systems Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |