Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between software architects and senior software development 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 software architect and a senior software development engineer. Additionally, a senior software development engineer has an average salary of $116,926, which is higher than the $114,406 average annual salary of a software architect.
The top three skills for a software architect include java, architecture and cloud. The most important skills for a senior software development engineer are java, software development, and python.
| Software Architect | Senior Software Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $114,406 | $116,926 |
| Hourly rate | $55.00 | $56.21 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 319,594 | 346,833 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.
A senior software development engineer specializes in leading the efforts in designing and developing software and information systems, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around installing and repairing existing computer systems, conducting regular maintenance checks, troubleshooting, testing new designs, and performing research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of operations, improving them to achieve optimal performance. Furthermore, as a senior software development engineer, it is essential to monitor and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Software architects and senior software development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Architect | Senior Software Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $114,406 | $116,926 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $158,000 | Between $87,000 And $156,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Aspiration | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a software architect and a senior software development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Architect | Senior Software Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software architects' and senior software development engineers' demographics:
| Software Architect | Senior Software Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 30.6% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |