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The differences between 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 staff engineer, becoming a senior software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior software engineer has an average salary of $114,494, which is higher than the $107,530 average annual salary of a staff engineer.
The top three skills for a staff engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,530 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $51.70 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 277,011 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
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.
Staff engineers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,530 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $167,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Flexport | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Retail |
There are a few differences between a staff engineer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between staff engineers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Staff Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% | 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% |