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The differences between senior stack engineers and staff 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 staff software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a staff software engineer has an average salary of $136,653, which is higher than the $122,731 average annual salary of a senior stack engineer.
The top three skills for a senior stack engineer include java, javascript and python. The most important skills for a staff software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Stack Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,731 | $136,653 |
| Hourly rate | $59.01 | $65.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 97,166 | 371,213 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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 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 stack engineers and staff software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Stack Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,731 | $136,653 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $164,000 | Between $100,000 And $186,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior stack engineer and a staff software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Stack Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior stack engineers' and staff software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Stack Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 33.5% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |