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The differences between senior lead systems engineers and software systems 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 lead systems engineer, becoming a software systems engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior lead systems engineer has an average salary of $114,766, which is higher than the $107,102 average annual salary of a software systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior lead systems engineer include java, systems engineering and architecture. The most important skills for a software systems engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $114,766 | $107,102 |
| Hourly rate | $55.18 | $51.49 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 251,239 | 370,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A senior lead systems engineer specializes in designing and developing systems for different industries. Besides engineering systems, they lead the efforts put into completing various projects and programs. Their duties usually include spearheading the research activities, establishing goals and guidelines, setting timelines, selecting resources, delegating responsibilities, and monitoring operations from planning to production, addressing issues and concerns to solve them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, as a senior lead systems engineer, they must lead and empower teams while implementing safety policies and industry standards.
A software systems engineer is responsible for designing and creating software systems applications and programs according to clients' specifications or business' needs. They work to improve the features of existing applications to boost efficiency and optimal performance. Software systems engineers manage systems configuration and structural development to develop high-quality outputs and deliverables. They also run multiple diagnostic tests to ensure smooth navigations and server transitions and identify efficient technical solutions. A software systems engineer assists the end-users with application issues, performing troubleshooting operations, and creating resolution reports for reference.
Senior lead systems engineers and software systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $114,766 | $107,102 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $151,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior lead systems engineer and a software systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior lead systems engineers' and software systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Lead Systems Engineer | Software Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 14.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |