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The differences between senior software programmers and contract 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 programmer and a contract software engineer. Additionally, a contract software engineer has an average salary of $102,925, which is higher than the $101,960 average annual salary of a senior software programmer.
The top three skills for a senior software programmer include javascript, C++ and java. The most important skills for a contract software engineer are java, software development, and database.
| Senior Software Programmer | Contract Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,960 | $102,925 |
| Hourly rate | $49.02 | $49.48 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 252,355 | 322,978 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior software programmers and contract software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Programmer | Contract Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,960 | $102,925 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $131,000 | Between $76,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | - |
| Best paying industry | Media | - |
There are a few differences between a senior software programmer and a contract software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Programmer | Contract Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior software programmers' and contract software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Software Programmer | Contract Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.3% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |