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What is a senior performance engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Libby Toping

Senior performance engineers utilize their knowledge and skills in production system management to help companies optimize their systems and increase traffic growth, among other business goals. Considering this main job duty, senior performance engineers usually have a background in engineering and technology.

The duties of a senior performance engineer can vary, depending on their industry of employment and the needs of their company. In general, however, they are responsible for tasks like developing testing infrastructure, creating best practices for performance monitoring, coming up with strategies for scaling, and suggesting appropriate upgrades or replacements to the management.

If you want to become a senior performance engineer, you would likely need a four-year degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or something relevant to your intended industry. Along with that, you should also have work experience in a similar role to become an attractive candidate to the majority of employers.

As a senior performance engineer, you will have the potential to earn $102,000 a year. With a higher level of skills and experience, however, you can earn a salary of $130,000 or beyond.

What general advice would you give to a senior performance engineer?

Libby TopingLibby Toping LinkedIn profile

Engineer intern, Crafton Tull

It has definitely been a unique time to start my first job. COVID-19 has caused many of my peers to struggle to find a job, so I think it has caused me to recognize how thankful I am to have a job that I enjoy working and that allows me to improve my community, even in the midst of a pandemic. There are certainly struggles with virtual meetings and mask-wearing, but learning to be flexible and adaptable are skills that I think will make me a better engineer in the long run!
ScoreSenior Performance EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $110,382

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.1

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 23.80%

male 76.20%

Age - 43
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 - 43
Stress level
5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Senior performance engineer career paths

Key steps to become a senior performance engineer

  1. Explore senior performance engineer education requirements

    Most common senior performance engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.8 %

    Master's

    24.0 %

    Associate

    4.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior performance engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Java14.16%
    JMeter5.68%
    Linux5.26%
    Test Results4.83%
    Performance Issues3.96%
  3. Complete relevant senior performance engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior performance engineers 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 performance engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior performance engineer resumes.
  4. Research senior performance engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Perform inter-departmental audits documenting ISO compliant results with associate corrective action requests in order to achieve company-wide certification.
    • Prepare test cases, test plan base on the non functional business requirements for retail domain java base application.
    • Used DynaTrace to monitor the server and narrow down on the performance bottlenecks.
    • Diagnose performance bottlenecks in Java.
  5. Get senior performance engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior performance engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior performance engineer include performance engineer, performance tester team lead and performance test engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior performance engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior performance engineer 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 performance engineer 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 performance engineer resume templates

    Build a professional senior performance engineer 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 performance engineer resume.
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
    Senior Performance Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for senior performance engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior performance engineer 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 performance engineer job

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Average senior performance engineer salary

The average senior performance engineer salary in the United States is $110,382 per year or $53 per hour. Senior performance engineer salaries range between $83,000 and $146,000 per year.

Average senior performance engineer salary
$110,382 Yearly
$53.07 hourly

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Senior performance engineer reviews

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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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