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The differences between associate software engineers and senior software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate software engineer and a senior software engineer. Additionally, a senior software engineer has an average salary of $114,494, which is higher than the $78,981 average annual salary of an associate software engineer.
The top three skills for an associate software engineer include java, python and C++. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Associate Software Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,981 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $37.97 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 298,481 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An associate software engineer is an individual who is responsible for improving existing software or designing new application software. Working under the supervision of a senior software engineer and together with a team of engineering professionals, associate software engineers must be able to code software and ensure that it can run with different types of technology. They must have the technical knowledge and expertise of commanding programming languages such as JAVA, HTML, and CSS. Associate software engineers are also required to assist the QA team in testing the software before it is released to the customers.
Senior software engineers are experienced employees who would usually take the lead in projects related to software development. They are in charge of determining the needs of the organization, checking whether there are feasible solutions to challenges, and creating plans for the development of a software solution. They provide a sound analysis of data collected during the testing phase of the software and address any problems during the software development phase. Once the software has been developed, they then ensure that it works well and that it addresses the needs and expectations of the users.
Associate software engineers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Software Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,981 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $102,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between an associate software engineer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Software Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between associate software engineers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Associate Software Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 39.6% White, 43.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |