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What is a senior software programmer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Frank McCown Ph.D.,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a senior software programmer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $49.02 an hour? That's $101,960 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a senior software programmer?

Frank McCown Ph.D.Frank McCown Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.
ScoreSenior Software ProgrammerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $101,960

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 30.29%

Black or African American 4.39%

Hispanic or Latino 8.12%

Unknown 4.79%

White 52.25%

Gender

female 24.15%

male 75.85%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Senior software programmer career paths

Key steps to become a senior software programmer

  1. Explore senior software programmer education requirements

    Most common senior software programmer degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.8 %

    Master's

    24.7 %

    Associate

    6.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior software programmer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    JavaScript9.40%
    C++9.03%
    Java7.09%
    CSS5.91%
    UI5.86%
  3. Complete relevant senior software programmer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior software programmers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior software programmer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior software programmer resumes.
  4. Research senior software programmer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage custom CSS styles for suite of external facing applications.
    • Manage security issues in ASP.NET application by implementing membership feature for securing login process and protecting user passwords.
    • Design and develop the UI using JSP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
    • Work in developing the vendor engine used in the finger print authentication of web application using Java, XML.
  5. Get senior software programmer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior software programmer. The most common roles before becoming a senior software programmer include software engineer, software programmer team lead and senior software engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior software programmer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior software programmer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior software programmer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior software programmer resume templates

    Build a professional senior software programmer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior software programmer resume.
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
    Senior Software Programmer Resume
  7. Apply for senior software programmer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior software programmer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior software programmer job

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Average senior software programmer salary

The average senior software programmer salary in the United States is $101,960 per year or $49 per hour. Senior software programmer salaries range between $79,000 and $131,000 per year.

Average senior software programmer salary
$101,960 Yearly
$49.02 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do senior software programmers rate their job?

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Senior software programmer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.

Cons

Compensation. Pay and Benefits do not match the time spent on a project. Alabama is the Worst state to live in for SOFTWARE ENGINEER Salaries. 40 to 50 percent less than our peer States.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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