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The differences between senior software engineers and software engineers-consultant 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 engineer and a software engineer-consultant. Additionally, a senior software engineer has an average salary of $114,494, which is higher than the $113,987 average annual salary of a software engineer-consultant.
The top three skills for a senior software engineer include java, python and javascript. The most important skills for a software engineer-consultant are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Software Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $114,494 | $113,987 |
| Hourly rate | $55.05 | $54.80 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 338,989 | 317,033 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior software engineers are experienced employees who would usually take the lead in projects related to software development. They are in charge of determining the needs of the organization, checking whether there are feasible solutions to challenges, and creating plans for the development of a software solution. They provide a sound analysis of data collected during the testing phase of the software and address any problems during the software development phase. Once the software has been developed, they then ensure that it works well and that it addresses the needs and expectations of the users.
A software engineer consultant develops and recommends strategies to optimize a company's software engineering operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to find new opportunities, performing software evaluations and risk assessments, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, and developing solutions against problem areas. Through the findings of their research, a software engineer consultant draws conclusions and recommendations that will help the company to reach their short and long-term goals and resolve issues or concerns.
Senior software engineers and software engineers-consultant have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Average salary | $114,494 | $113,987 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $151,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Foster City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Advent Software |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a senior software engineer and a software engineer-consultant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior software engineers' and software engineers-consultant' demographics:
| Senior Software Engineer | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |