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The differences between senior software managers and staff software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a senior software manager, becoming a staff software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior software manager has an average salary of $145,610, which is higher than the $136,653 average annual salary of a staff software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior software manager include software development, java and cycle management. The most important skills for a staff software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Software Manager | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $145,610 | $136,653 |
| Hourly rate | $70.00 | $65.70 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 139,282 | 371,213 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A senior software manager leads a testing team. They are responsible for counseling junior staff, managing resources, conducting software testing, and ensuring quality standards are met. This position requires someone who is resourceful and dynamic. They must also hold an advanced degree.
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 managers and staff software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Manager | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $145,610 | $136,653 |
| Salary range | Between $107,000 And $197,000 | Between $100,000 And $186,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | eBay | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior software manager and a staff software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Manager | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior software managers' and staff software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Software Manager | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 20.4% White, 60.0% 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 | 11% | 8% |