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The differences between junior developers 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 a junior developer and a senior software engineer. Additionally, a senior software engineer has an average salary of $114,494, which is higher than the $75,006 average annual salary of a junior developer.
The top three skills for a junior developer include java, C++ and javascript. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Junior Developer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,006 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $36.06 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 259,820 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A junior developer is an individual with an entry-level position that is hired by an information technology (IT) company to work with its development team to write and maintain code for computer applications. Being an entry-level position, junior developers are required to learn the codebase and gain experience from working on large projects. They attend and participate in meetings conducted by the development team to discuss issues with other developers. Junior developers must also participate in paired programming with mid-level and senior developers.
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.
Junior developers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Developer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,006 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $99,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Atlassian | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a junior developer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Developer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between junior developers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Junior Developer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% 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% |