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The differences between senior stack engineers and software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior stack engineer, becoming a software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior stack engineer has an average salary of $122,731, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior stack engineer include java, javascript and python. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Stack Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,731 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $59.01 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 97,166 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A senior stack engineer is responsible for creating and designing servers and managing user interface on web applications. Senior stack engineers develop interactive functionalities and features for the database to support the business operation processes. They also modify existing web systems, upgrade network infrastructure, and set up configurations. A senior stack engineer must have excellent technical and computer skills to ensure smooth navigation for servers, as well as a strong command of programming languages to write and test codes.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Senior stack engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Stack Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,731 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $164,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior stack engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Stack Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior stack engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Stack Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |