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The differences between senior engineers and senior infrastructure engineers 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 a senior infrastructure engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $117,765, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a senior infrastructure engineer are cloud, AWS, and linux.
| Senior Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $117,765 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $56.62 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 78,855 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
A senior infrastructure engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and infrastructures based on client preferences and industry standards. They have the duty to identify and understand the project's needs, streamline project requirements, produce drafts, create prototypes and models, and establish tests to identify potential issues and ensure the projects' quality. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has the authority to make decisions, train and supervise junior engineers, establish goals and timelines, provide technical support, and implement policies and guidelines.
Senior engineers and senior infrastructure engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $117,765 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $87,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and a senior infrastructure engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and senior infrastructure engineers' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Senior Infrastructure Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 10.7% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |