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What is a senior information technology developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Aaron Napierala,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.

Senior I.T Developers have extensive expertise and experience in the area of software development. As such, they use their understanding of industry best practices in a variety of development jobs, including coding, app development, and web development.

Working in this office means that you'll frequently supervise projects and may specialize in a certain development area or programming language. People sometimes call a senior developer a software engineer. When it comes to projects, you will be expected to supervise and mentor junior developers. You will also lead software development projects and report to a program manager or a software architect often.

Having a graduate degree in computer science, software development, or a related field will help you secure a job in this position. However, a few firms do not require a degree subject and are willing to train you provided you show interest and the ability to master necessary skills like Mathematical aptitude, time management skills, and Problem-solving skills. You can make an average of $51.78 an hour or $107,706 a year.

What general advice would you give to a senior information technology developer?

Aaron NapieralaAaron Napierala LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Defiance College

The most important advice I can offer, is to let them know to work toward something they are passionate about. Many people have the impression that CS is all about programming. While programming can, and does, deal with programming, an education in CS lays the foundation for students to work with technology, whatever that might be. If students are not passionate about what they are doing, I believe students would be hard-pressed to achieve their true potential. If you have a solid foundation, but nothing to build on top of that, where are you? This is why I always recommend students explore other areas, outside of CS, that they are excited to learn more about, to complement their technical knowledge. If students can't relate to people outside of their discipline, I think they will be limited on what they can do and ultimately not satisfied.
ScoreSenior Information Technology DeveloperUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $108,906

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.79%

Black or African American 4.60%

Hispanic or Latino 8.37%

Unknown 4.85%

White 52.23%

Gender

female 18.18%

male 81.82%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Senior information technology developer career paths

Key steps to become a senior information technology developer

  1. Explore senior information technology developer education requirements

    Most common senior information technology developer degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.2 %

    Master's

    18.1 %

    Associate

    10.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior information technology developer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Java10.13%
    Software Development6.43%
    Spring Boot5.17%
    JavaScript4.74%
    C++4.55%
  3. Complete relevant senior information technology developer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior information technology developers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior information technology developer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior information technology developer resumes.
  4. Research senior information technology developer duties and responsibilities

    • Develop PL/SQL scripts, procedures, and functions to help automate lengthy processes.
    • Configure and manage JGroup multicasting communication for apache tomcat web servers.
    • Develop JSP, Servlets, JavaScript, and XML, which form the UI component.
    • Involve in writing front-end codes for the web-application portal using XSLT, XSL, HTML5, XML, JavaScript and JQuery.
  5. Get senior information technology developer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior information technology developer. The most common roles before becoming a senior information technology developer include senior software engineer, programmer analyst team lead and developer.
  6. Prepare your senior information technology developer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior information technology developer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior information technology developer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior information technology developer resume templates

    Build a professional senior information technology developer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior information technology developer resume.
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
    Senior Information Technology Developer Resume
  7. Apply for senior information technology developer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior information technology developer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior information technology developer job

Zippi

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Average senior information technology developer salary

The average senior information technology developer salary in the United States is $108,906 per year or $52 per hour. Senior information technology developer salaries range between $84,000 and $140,000 per year.

Average senior information technology developer salary
$108,906 Yearly
$52.36 hourly

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Senior information technology developer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Cons

Stressing and you have to keep always updated

Pros

Improve every day, a good salary, a lot of job opportunities


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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