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Systems programmer demographics and statistics in the US

Systems programmer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates systems programmer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our systems programmer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about systems programmers after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 9,503 systems programmers currently employed in the United States.
  • 16.0% of all systems programmers are women, while 84.0% are men.
  • The average systems programmer age is 47 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of systems programmers is White (65.9%), followed by Asian (14.9%), Hispanic or Latino (9.1%) and Black or African American (5.2%).
  • In 2022, women earned 92% of what men earned.
  • 11% of all systems programmers are LGBT.
  • Systems programmers are 44% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
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Systems programmer demographics by:

Systems programmer gender statistics

16.0% of systems programmers are women and 84.0% of systems programmers are men.
  • Male, 84.0%
  • Female, 16.0%

Systems programmer gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male84.0%
Female16.0%

Systems programmer gender pay gap

Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$95,382
female-income
Female income
$87,878

Systems programmer gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in systems programmer positions over time. Currently, 16.0% of systems programmers are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Systems programmer gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201080.37%19.63%
201180.34%19.66%
201280.84%19.16%
201382.54%17.46%
201482.14%17.86%
201581.49%18.51%
201682.14%17.86%
201782.35%17.65%
201881.82%18.18%
201982.28%17.72%
202083.48%16.52%
202184.03%15.97%

Systems programmer related jobs gender ratio

We compared systems programmers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Informatics Nurse Specialist13%87%
Clinical Support Specialist22%78%
Clinic Administrator23%77%
Systems Programmer84%16%
Senior Data Center Engineer98%2%
Software Applications Architect98%2%
Dell Certified Systems Expert99%1%

Systems programmer demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among systems programmers is White, which makes up 65.9% of all systems programmers. Comparatively, 14.9% of systems programmers are Asian and 9.1% of systems programmers are Hispanic or Latino.
  • White, 65.9%
  • Asian, 14.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 9.1%
  • Black or African American, 5.2%
  • Unknown, 4.8%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%

Systems programmer race

Systems programmer racePercentages
White65.9%
Asian14.9%
Hispanic or Latino9.1%
Black or African American5.2%
Unknown4.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%

Systems programmer race and ethnicity over time

See how systems programmer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Systems programmer race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201071.29%4.94%14.52%6.92%
201171.87%5.12%13.57%7.25%
201271.58%5.06%13.52%7.43%
201370.66%5.35%13.99%7.30%
201470.46%4.80%15.07%7.06%
201568.81%5.21%16.03%7.25%
201667.74%5.32%16.40%7.92%
201768.04%4.57%15.93%8.93%
201868.97%5.00%15.79%7.65%
201969.19%4.68%15.08%8.30%
202065.91%5.29%14.90%8.78%
202165.91%5.16%14.87%9.12%

Systems programmer wage gap by race

According to our data, asian systems programmers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american systems programmers have the lowest average salary at $92,863.
$103,000
$101,000
$99,000
$97,000
$95,000
$93,000
$91,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$93,509
White$95,707
Black or African American$92,863
Asian$101,824
Hispanic or Latino$93,290

Average systems programmer age

See how the average age of systems programmers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Systems programmer age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown45.552
White4951
Black or African American4342
Asian45.547
Hispanic or Latino4241

Systems programmer age breakdown

The average age of systems programmers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the systems programmer population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Systems programmer age breakdown

Systems Programmer YearsPercentages
40+ years72%
30-40 years21%
20-30 years7%

Systems programmer educational attainment

The most common degree for systems programmers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of systems programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

Systems programmers by degree level

Systems programmer degreePercentages
Bachelor's70%
Associate16%
Master's10%
Diploma2%
Other Degrees2%

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Systems programmer wage gap by degree level

According to the data, systems programmers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $107,678 annually. With a Master's degree, systems programmers earn a median annual income of $104,612 compared to $99,777 for systems programmers with an Bachelor's degree.
$112,000
$107,000
$102,000
$97,000
$92,000
$87,000
$82,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$104,612
Bachelor's Degree$99,777
Doctorate Degree$107,678
Some College/ Associate Degree$86,251

Systems programmer employment statistics

Most systems programmers work for a private in the technology industry.

Company size where systems programmers work

Below, you can see the size of companies where systems programmers work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Systems programmer jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees2%
50 - 100 employees7%
100 - 500 employees10%
500 - 1,000 employees6%
1,000 - 10,000 employees30%
> 10,000 employees45%

Systems programmer jobs by company type

Employees with the systems programmer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most systems programmers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Systems programmer jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education10%
Public40%
Private44%
Government6%

Systems programmer jobs by industry

The most common industries for systems programmers are technology, finance and education.

Fortune 500

Technology

Finance

Education

Health Care

Systems programmer turnover and employment statistics

Systems programmer unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for systems programmers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Systems programmer unemployment rate by year

YearSystems programmer unemployment rate
20105.66%
20114.88%
20124.01%
20133.44%
20143.52%
20152.74%
20162.92%
20173.10%
20182.78%
20193.35%
20203.32%
20213.49%

Average systems programmer tenure

The average systems programmer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,837 systems programmers resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Systems programmer tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year12%
1-2 years37%
3-4 years20%
5-7 years15%
8-10 years5%
11+ years11%

Systems programmer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of systems programmers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Voice Engineer7.31%8,657
Senior Software Programmer8.46%252,355
Director, Corporate Security8.59%66,575
Senior Data Center Engineer9.03%139,255
Automation Engineer10.54%133,941
Systems Programmer10.69%-
Lead Support Analyst10.88%129,034

Similar systems programmer jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Voice Engineer7.31%8,657
Senior Software Programmer8.46%252,355
Director, Corporate Security8.59%66,575
Senior Data Center Engineer9.03%139,255
Automation Engineer10.54%133,941
Lead Support Analyst10.88%129,034

Foreign languages spoken by systems programmers

The most common foreign language among systems programmers is Spanish at 39.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 13.0% and French is the third-most popular at 10.9%.
  • Spanish, 39.1%
  • German, 13.0%
  • French, 10.9%
  • Chinese, 7.6%
  • Italian, 3.3%
  • Other, 26.1%

Systems programmer languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish39.1%
German13.0%
French10.9%
Chinese7.6%
Italian3.3%
Other26.1%

Systems programmer jobs

Systems programmer location demographics

Where do systems programmers earn the most?

Systems programmers earn the most in California, where the average systems programmer salary is $114,770. The map here shows where systems programmers earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Systems Programmers?

By looking through more than 5,837 resumes, we found that the most popular places for systems programmers are New York, NY and Houston, TX.
Number of Systems Programmers

Systems programmer jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California7,512$114,770
2Texas5,317$86,903
3Florida3,769$65,800
4Virginia3,230$87,764
5New York3,023$99,137
6Illinois2,988$84,790
7Pennsylvania2,987$89,904
8North Carolina2,350$90,679
9Georgia2,306$71,790
10Washington2,252$104,614
11Maryland2,221$100,995
12Ohio2,194$83,602
13New Jersey2,149$85,678
14Massachusetts1,920$99,731
15Michigan1,759$79,321
16Arizona1,539$86,917
17Minnesota1,534$90,835
18Indiana1,382$80,262
19Oregon1,358$110,784
20Colorado1,276$87,182
21Alabama1,201$80,603
22Missouri1,101$69,383
23Wisconsin1,020$81,264
24Tennessee954$77,083
25Connecticut824$105,967
26Utah767$70,091
27Kansas707$70,160
28District of Columbia702$95,946
29Iowa698$81,294
30South Carolina696$70,773
31Kentucky606$71,573
32Nebraska579$75,613
33New Mexico523$73,711
34Arkansas511$78,327
35Louisiana487$81,783
36Nevada468$93,527
37Oklahoma465$74,793
38New Hampshire464$86,721
39Idaho459$87,244
40Rhode Island443$94,282
41Delaware411$88,210
42Mississippi342$80,202
43Montana322$75,980
44Maine284$93,140
45West Virginia275$73,762
46Vermont272$89,083
47North Dakota246$82,912
48South Dakota244$79,463
49Alaska207$93,199
50Wyoming182$72,862
51Hawaii137$61,860

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