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The differences between staff programmers and software programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a staff programmer and a software programmer. Additionally, a staff programmer has an average salary of $112,979, which is higher than the $71,612 average annual salary of a software programmer.
The top three skills for a staff programmer include database, COBOL and DB2. The most important skills for a software programmer are java, javascript, and software development.
| Staff Programmer | Software Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,979 | $71,612 |
| Hourly rate | $54.32 | $34.43 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 77,790 | 253,235 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Staff programmers and software programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Programmer | Software Programmer | |
| Average salary | $112,979 | $71,612 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $149,000 | Between $55,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Panaya |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a staff programmer and a software programmer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Programmer | Software Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between staff programmers' and software programmers' demographics:
| Staff Programmer | Software Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 71.3% Female, 28.7% |
| 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, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 25.2% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |