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The differences between senior software architects and software engineers 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 engineer. Additionally, a senior software architect has an average salary of $129,435, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior software architect include java, python and cloud. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Software Architect | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $129,435 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $62.23 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 310,354 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 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 software architects and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Architect | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $129,435 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $178,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior software architect and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Architect | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 engineers' demographics:
| Senior Software Architect | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.0% Female, 6.0% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |