Developers' salaries are usually lower than those of software engineers. Keep in mind that when researching real starting salaries, it is your duties that determine where you should start, not the job. If your job involves planning and designing software and writing complex algorithms, you are a software engineer by definition of BLS, even if you have the title of programmer in your company.
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If you are not involved in most of the design work and spend most of the day translating the specifications into computer language, then you are in the role of a programmer. Those working in software development can be called programmers, programmers, software engineers, or systems analysts, and the titles are not standardized according to responsibilities. Make sure you understand the scope of work before making accurate salary estimates.
Computer programmer salaries
According to BLS data for 2009, the range of programmers' salaries ranges between $ 19.54 and $ 54.51 per hour, or $ 40,640 and $ 113,380 per year. Young developers should expect to earn at the lower end of this salary range. On average, developers make a respectable living, earning an average hourly rate of $ 35.91. If you want to maximize your earnings right behind the gate, look for a job in a top industry. The BLS states that computer and peripheral equipment manufacturers and the financial sector pay the highest salaries.
Computer Software Engineers - Applications
BLS further divides software engineers into two categories - application developers and system software. While software developers encode the basic platforms needed to run a computer, developers work on programs designed to work with system software support. Application software engineers earn between $ 26.36 and $ 63.50 per hour, or $ 54,840 and $ 132,080 per year. Expect to earn in the $ 50,000 range as a beginner pro. The highest paid firms include mining companies and computer and peripheral equipment manufacturers.