Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between staff software engineers and architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a staff software engineer and an architect. Additionally, a staff software engineer has an average salary of $136,653, which is higher than the $86,635 average annual salary of an architect.
The top three skills for a staff software engineer include java, python and software development. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Staff Software Engineer | Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $136,653 | $86,635 |
| Hourly rate | $65.70 | $41.65 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 371,213 | 94,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
Staff software engineers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Software Engineer | Architect | |
| Average salary | $136,653 | $86,635 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $186,000 | Between $54,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between a staff software engineer and an architect in terms of educational background:
| Staff Software Engineer | Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Architecture |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between staff software engineers' and architects' demographics:
| Staff Software Engineer | Architect | |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 15% |