Post job

Engineering programmer vs senior programmer

The differences between engineering programmers and senior programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both an engineering programmer and a senior programmer. Additionally, a senior programmer has an average salary of $105,509, which is higher than the $95,776 average annual salary of an engineering programmer.

The top three skills for an engineering programmer include C++, troubleshoot and PC. The most important skills for a senior programmer are macro, SAS, and database.

Engineering programmer vs senior programmer overview

Engineering ProgrammerSenior Programmer
Yearly salary$95,776$105,509
Hourly rate$46.05$50.73
Growth rate-7%-7%
Number of jobs245,309209,882
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4747
Years of experience88

What does an engineering programmer do?

Running programs on a computer is tough to understand, so an engineering programmer's expertise is needed. They often work alongside software programmers to improve their works, apply their creations and run them on the computer. They assist computer programmers in creating a software program to locate, store, secure, and retrieve data and design software solutions for future computer difficulties. In a company, they can be part of the team that handles customer complaints online and run software to work with it, or they can provide software that oversees staffs' work ethics.

What does a senior programmer do?

A Senior Programmer develops operations solutions through guiding the development of program specifications and leading programmers. They develop, test, and implement IT solutions.

Engineering programmer vs senior programmer salary

Engineering programmers and senior programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Engineering ProgrammerSenior Programmer
Average salary$95,776$105,509
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $138,000Between $78,000 And $141,000
Highest paying CityNovato, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaCornerstone Research
Best paying industryTechnologyPharmaceutical

Differences between engineering programmer and senior programmer education

There are a few differences between an engineering programmer and a senior programmer in terms of educational background:

Engineering ProgrammerSenior Programmer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorComputer ScienceComputer Science
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Engineering programmer vs senior programmer demographics

Here are the differences between engineering programmers' and senior programmers' demographics:

Engineering ProgrammerSenior Programmer
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 83.2% Female, 16.8%Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 14.9% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between engineering programmer and senior programmer duties and responsibilities

Engineering programmer example responsibilities.

  • Restructure websites using HTML and CSS.
  • Work on Java and JavaScript in implementing the interfaces.
  • Design and write C++, parallel vtk-base visualization application for studying tera-scale data.
  • Repair and upgrade PC and network of the enterprise.
  • Lead design group to migrate from Autocad to Solidworks.
  • Design touch panel interfaces for use with Crestron and AMX systems.
  • Show more

Senior programmer example responsibilities.

  • Acquire depth knowledge in ADAM, the tool which manages all the assets.
  • Install and manage FTP server.
  • Develop several small tools to automate certain processes (python).
  • Lead a team investigating carrier-grade Linux enhancements leading to a $350,000 sale.
  • Develop Perl scripts to automate manual work, dramatically reducing the overall time span.
  • Reduce previous single 26 file game into one easy to manage SWF file by making static content dynamic XML driven.
  • Show more

Engineering programmer vs senior programmer skills

Common engineering programmer skills
  • C++, 22%
  • Troubleshoot, 6%
  • PC, 6%
  • Java, 4%
  • Debugging, 4%
  • Architecture, 4%
Common senior programmer skills
  • Macro, 12%
  • SAS, 10%
  • Database, 8%
  • C++, 7%
  • Adam, 5%
  • Java, 4%

Browse computer and mathematical jobs