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The differences between senior support engineers and senior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior support engineer, becoming a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $107,037 average annual salary of a senior support engineer.
The top three skills for a senior support engineer include java, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Senior Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,037 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $51.46 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 215,312 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior support engineer specializes in providing technical support to clients. They are typically in charge of working on complicated technical issues, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients, addressing their needs, troubleshooting, and providing step by step solutions. They may also arrange repair appointments or refer clients to other services. Furthermore, as a senior support engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Senior support engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,037 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $137,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior support engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior support engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Senior Support Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 15.2% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |