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The differences between senior software engineers lead and staff 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 engineer lead and a staff software engineer. Additionally, a staff software engineer has an average salary of $136,653, which is higher than the $129,060 average annual salary of a senior software engineer lead.
The top three skills for a senior software engineer lead include java, architecture and software development. The most important skills for a staff software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Software Engineer Lead | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $129,060 | $136,653 |
| Hourly rate | $62.05 | $65.70 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 322,973 | 371,213 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior software engineer lead is responsible for overseeing the software creation process. They analyze projects, rectify errors, interpret project requirements, and develop detailed designs. They must create reports of all weekly tasks and ensure best practices are followed by their team.
A Staff Software Engineer is responsible for developing, maintaining, and repairing company software for maximum efficiency and usability. They instruct and mentor their team members in software development techniques and cloud development.
Senior software engineers lead and staff software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Engineer Lead | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $129,060 | $136,653 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $173,000 | Between $100,000 And $186,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | PitchBook Data | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior software engineer lead and a staff software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Engineer Lead | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior software engineers lead' and staff software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Software Engineer Lead | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 33.4% White, 48.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 33.5% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |