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The differences between senior engineers and architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior engineer, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $86,635 average annual salary of an architect.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Senior Engineer | Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $86,635 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $41.65 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 94,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
Senior engineers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Architect | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $86,635 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $54,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and an architect in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Architecture |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and architects' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Architect | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 15% |