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The differences between senior information technology engineers and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior information technology engineer, becoming a chief engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior information technology engineer has an average salary of $113,612, which is higher than the $108,050 average annual salary of a chief engineer.
The top three skills for a senior information technology engineer include cloud, architecture and java. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Senior Information Technology Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $113,612 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $54.62 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 163,912 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior information technology engineer is responsible for designing and creating technical solutions to support business operations and client specifications. Senior information technology engineers improve existing software applications and programs to boost optimization and stabilize network infrastructure. They also support end-users in resolving their system issues and write troubleshooting reports to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. A senior information technology engineer must have excellent technical and organizational skills to test multiple systems and ensure that the features meet the quality standards and business requirements.
A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.
Senior information technology engineers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Information Technology Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $113,612 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $145,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | BGC Partners | |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a senior information technology engineer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Information Technology Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior information technology engineers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Senior Information Technology Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |