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The differences between senior infrastructure engineers and software 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 infrastructure engineer, becoming a software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $117,765, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior infrastructure engineer include cloud, AWS and linux. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Infrastructure Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $117,765 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $56.62 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 78,855 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Senior infrastructure engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Infrastructure Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $117,765 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $158,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior infrastructure engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Infrastructure Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior infrastructure engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Infrastructure Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |