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The differences between staff programmers and staff 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 staff software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a staff software engineer has an average salary of $136,653, 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 staff software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Staff Programmer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,979 | $136,653 |
| Hourly rate | $54.32 | $65.70 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 77,790 | 371,213 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
Staff programmers and staff software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Programmer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,979 | $136,653 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $149,000 | Between $100,000 And $186,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Retail |
There are a few differences between a staff programmer and a staff software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Programmer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between staff programmers' and staff software engineers' demographics:
| Staff Programmer | Staff Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% |
| 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, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 33.5% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |