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The differences between senior software architects and software architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior software architect and a software architect. Additionally, a senior software architect has an average salary of $129,435, which is higher than the $114,406 average annual salary of a software architect.
The top three skills for a senior software architect include java, python and cloud. The most important skills for a software architect are java, architecture, and cloud.
| Senior Software Architect | Software Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $129,435 | $114,406 |
| Hourly rate | $62.23 | $55.00 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 310,354 | 319,594 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Senior Software Architect is focused on the development of new programs and software for technologically based organizations. They improve operations through conducting system analysis and recommending changes in policies and procedures.
A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.
Senior software architects and software architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Architect | Software Architect | |
| Average salary | $129,435 | $114,406 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $178,000 | Between $82,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | Aspiration |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior software architect and a software architect in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Architect | Software Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior software architects' and software architects' demographics:
| Senior Software Architect | Software Architect | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.0% Female, 6.0% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |