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The differences between senior architects and software architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior architect and a software architect. Additionally, a software architect has an average salary of $114,406, which is higher than the $91,624 average annual salary of a senior architect.
The top three skills for a senior architect include cloud, java and infrastructure. The most important skills for a software architect are java, architecture, and cloud.
| Senior Architect | Software Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $91,624 | $114,406 |
| Hourly rate | $44.05 | $55.00 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 103,428 | 319,594 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Senior Architect performs design drafting and evaluates architectural or engineering plans regarding building construction or improvement projects. They review building plans and site design for aesthetics, environmental acceptability, and compliance with quality standards.
A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.
Senior architects and software architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Architect | Software Architect | |
| Average salary | $91,624 | $114,406 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $143,000 | Between $82,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | Aspiration |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior architect and a software architect in terms of educational background:
| Senior Architect | Software Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior architects' and software architects' demographics:
| Senior Architect | Software Architect | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 16.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 8% |