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The differences between senior staff engineers and senior software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior staff engineer, becoming a senior software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $114,494 average annual salary of a senior software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior staff engineer include python, java and architecture. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Senior Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $136,031 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $65.40 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 239,752 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Senior software engineers are experienced employees who would usually take the lead in projects related to software development. They are in charge of determining the needs of the organization, checking whether there are feasible solutions to challenges, and creating plans for the development of a software solution. They provide a sound analysis of data collected during the testing phase of the software and address any problems during the software development phase. Once the software has been developed, they then ensure that it works well and that it addresses the needs and expectations of the users.
Senior staff engineers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $136,031 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $194,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior staff engineer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior staff engineers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |