programmer
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə/
ipa: /ˈpɹoʊɡɹæmɚ/
Forms: form: programmers
form: programer
Etymology: *program + -er (US) / programme + -er (UK)
Senses: examples: text: More important, when we looked at who worked in that industry, we noticed that programmers were in the minority. They’re dwarfed by, among other occupations, the software developers. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but the jobs follow very different trajectories. Nationwide, software developers haven’t struggled nearly as much as their programming brethren — few other computer-related occupations have. So what makes programmers different? To answer that, we need to dive forehead first into everybody’s favorite part of any analysis: arcane occupation definitions! Upon perusing the fine print, we saw that while programmers do in fact program, they “work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals.” That seems like a clue. In the real world, “developer” and “programmer” can seem almost interchangeable. But in the world of government statistics, where we have legal permanent residency, there’s a clear distinction. In the [US] government’s schema, programmers do the grunt work while the much more numerous — and much faster-growing — software developers enjoy a broader remit. They figure out what clients need, design solutions and work with folks such as programmers and hardware engineers to implement them. Their pay reflects this gap in responsibilities. The median programmer earned $99,700 in 2023, compared with $132,270 for the median developer. And while 27.5 percent of programming jobs vanished, jobs for developers have only fallen 0.3 percent, similar to the broader industry.
ref: 2025 March 14, Andrew Van Dam, “Department of Data: More than a quarter of computer-programming jobs just vanished. What happened? Learning to code was supposedly the salvation of millions of liberal art majors. But now programming jobs are plummeting. The Post’s Department of Data tries to figure out what’s going on”, in Washington Post:
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
synonyms: coder#Noun
computer programmer
;
code monkey
coordinate_terms: developer[Appendix:Glossary#broadly|broadly]] synonymous>
software engineer[Appendix:Glossary#broadly|broadly]] synonymous>
;
designer
;
software architect
glosses: One who writes computer programs.
examples: text: The handful of never-ending summer classics annually activated by rock-radio programmers.
ref: 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 151:
text: So if there is a real shortage of training material and opportunities for radio programmers, then let's write some.
ref: 2005, Steve Warren, Radio:
topics: broadcasting
media
radio
television
glosses: One who decides which programs will be shown on a television station, or which songs will be played on a radio station.
examples: text: The EPROM programmer burns the data into the EPROM chip. When programming is completed, remove the EPROM chip and plug it into the circuit […]
ref: 1999, Peter Spasov, Microcontroller technology, the 68HC11:
text: This system comprises a boiler with its own thermostat to regulate the water temperature, a pump, a hot-water storage tank, a room thermostat and some form of timed programmer.
ref: 2015, Brian Scaddan, Electrical Installation Work, page 201:
glosses: A device that installs or controls a software program in some other machine.
examples: text: As a programmer, the Chan series is linked to the B picture, known for its low production value and overt, disruptive, unpolished, even lurid narratives.
ref: 2019, Delia Malia Caparoso Konzett, Hollywood at the Intersection of Race and Identity:
glosses: A short film feature as part of a longer film program.
Derived terms: analyst programmer
extreme programmer
nonprogrammer
programmer art
programmer socks
systems programmer
Related terms: IT
network engineer
systems analyst