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Programming internship vs senior software engineer

The differences between programming interns 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 programming internship and a senior software engineer. Additionally, a senior software engineer has an average salary of $114,494, which is higher than the $31,896 average annual salary of a programming internship.

The top three skills for a programming internship include internship program, python and powerpoint. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.

Programming internship vs senior software engineer overview

Programming InternshipSenior Software Engineer
Yearly salary$31,896$114,494
Hourly rate$15.33$55.05
Growth rate21%21%
Number of jobs49,839338,989
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age3939
Years of experience44

What does a programming internship do?

In programming internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to observe company practices and follow directions while exercising creativity in programming and computer development. Among the tasks may revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, craft and develop software or even hardware to support a client's programming needs, generate codes, and monitor systems for any issues or inconsistencies. Furthermore, it is crucial to maintain an active communication line and coordination, as most of the tasks will be in a team setting.

What does a senior software engineer do?

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.

Programming internship vs senior software engineer salary

Programming interns and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Programming InternshipSenior Software Engineer
Average salary$31,896$114,494
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $42,000Between $86,000 And $151,000
Highest paying CityShoreline, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyInland Empire Utilities AgencyThe Citadel
Best paying industryGovernmentRetail

Differences between programming internship and senior software engineer education

There are a few differences between a programming internship and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:

Programming InternshipSenior Software Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorPsychologyComputer Science
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Programming internship vs senior software engineer demographics

Here are the differences between programming interns' and senior software engineers' demographics:

Programming InternshipSenior Software Engineer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 36.8% Female, 63.2%Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% 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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between programming internship and senior software engineer duties and responsibilities

Programming internship example responsibilities.

  • Develop PowerPoint presentation summarizing accomplishments and present to managers and team leads from both QinetiQ and NASA.
  • Recruit, manage and motivate volunteers in public education, professional education, service and rehabilitation and tobacco control programs.
  • Plan cultural group events for volunteers and creating and promoting events utilizing the Facebook page.
  • Monitor and update social media daily, provide compelling content, specifically Facebook.
  • Develop a PowerPoint presentation that would be used to solicit possible investors and stakeholders.
  • Investigate provider complaints to determine Medicaid contractor compliance with contracts, certification requirements, law, regulations, policies and procedures.
  • Show more

Senior software engineer example responsibilities.

  • Work with Microsoft TFS to manage work items and source control.
  • Lead team in development of a custom reservoir simulation data mining and visualization tool.
  • Used and written maven scripts to manage dependencies and to build and deploy the application locally and in DEV environments.
  • Develop Unix scripts for cross cap system integration system, enhance the existing Unix scripts to achieve better performance and throughput.
  • Configure and manage Debian Linux kernel security and networking components.
  • Collaborate with project manager in tracking and managing project development process following SDLC and RBPM methodologies.
  • Show more

Programming internship vs senior software engineer skills

Common programming internship skills
  • Internship Program, 27%
  • Python, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • C++, 6%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
  • Professional Development, 4%
Common senior software engineer skills
  • Java, 13%
  • Python, 6%
  • JavaScript, 5%
  • Architecture, 5%
  • Database, 4%
  • GIT, 3%

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