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The differences between software engineers and staff software 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 engineer and a staff software engineer. Additionally, a staff software engineer has an average salary of $136,653, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a software engineer include java, python and software development. The most important skills for a staff software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Software Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,260 | $136,653 |
| Hourly rate | $48.20 | $65.70 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 339,938 | 371,213 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Software engineers and staff software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,260 | $136,653 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $136,000 | Between $100,000 And $186,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Retail |
There are a few differences between a software engineer and a staff software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software engineers' and staff software engineers' demographics:
| Software Engineer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 8% | 8% |