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The differences between senior front end developers and software developers 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 front end developer and a software developer. Additionally, a senior front end developer has an average salary of $110,224, which is higher than the $87,521 average annual salary of a software developer.
The top three skills for a senior front end developer include front end, javascript and html css. The most important skills for a software developer are java, python, and C++.
| Senior Front End Developer | Software Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,224 | $87,521 |
| Hourly rate | $52.99 | $42.08 |
| Growth rate | 13% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 215,831 | 294,329 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior front end developers play an important role within a business. They are responsible for overseeing the work of junior front end developers and working closely with back-end developers. They are tasked to implement the user interface and develop patterns and abstractions, emphasizing the efficiency of software products. Other duties include evaluating new technologies, building prototype systems that meet the requirements and quality standards, and interacting and engaging with end-users. They also have to collaborate with the user experience team in designing and implementing software experience.
A software developer is responsible for designing application systems to support the user and business' needs. Duties of a software developer include testing software codes, performing diagnostic programs and troubleshooting, interpreting system data and establishing efficient parameters, and ensuring the compatibility of the systems. A software developer must have an excellent knowledge of computer programs and programming languages to understand its complexities, especially on detecting system defects and malfunctions. A software developer must have strong attention to detail, communication, and decision-making skills to coordinate with the team and also work independently under minimal supervision.
Senior front end developers and software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Front End Developer | Software Developer | |
| Average salary | $110,224 | $87,521 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $142,000 | Between $67,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior front end developer and a software developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Front End Developer | Software Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior front end developers' and software developers' demographics:
| Senior Front End Developer | Software Developer | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9% | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 15.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |