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The differences between staff programmers and senior systems software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a staff programmer, becoming a senior systems software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior systems software engineer has an average salary of $122,275, which is higher than the $112,979 average annual salary of a staff programmer.
The top three skills for a staff programmer include database, COBOL and DB2. The most important skills for a senior systems software engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Staff Programmer | Senior Systems Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,979 | $122,275 |
| Hourly rate | $54.32 | $58.79 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 77,790 | 359,248 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
Staff programmers and senior systems software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Programmer | Senior Systems Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,979 | $122,275 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $149,000 | Between $91,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Oregon |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a staff programmer and a senior systems software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Programmer | Senior Systems Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between staff programmers' and senior systems software engineers' demographics:
| Staff Programmer | Senior Systems Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 16.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |