What is a staff software engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Experts

Frank McCown Ph.D.,

John Russo

A staff software engineer oversees the development of software products. They are responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications while ensuring they meet company standards. These engineers collaborate with other teams to ensure the projectâ€™s success, and may mentor junior engineers. Additionally, a staff software engineer stays up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in their field, playing a crucial role in the success of the software development process.

What general advice would you give to a Staff Software Engineer?

Frank McCown Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.

ScoreStaff Software EngineerUS Average

Salary

8.6

Avg. Salary $136,653

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.0

Growth Rate 21%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 33.46%

Black or African American 4.63%

Hispanic or Latino 8.40%

Unknown 4.86%

White 48.49%

Gender

female 17.01%

male 82.99%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Staff Software Engineer?

Pros

High salary due to demand for software engineers
Opportunities for career growth and advancement
Flexibility in work hours and location
Opportunities to work on interesting and impactful projects
Potential for remote work or freelancing

Cons

High stress due to strict deadlines and demands from upper management
Long work hours
Isolation due to working at a computer for extended periods of time
Occasional burnout due to intense concentration required for programming
Possibility for replacement by newer technologies and outsourcing

Key steps to become a staff software engineer

Explore staff software engineer education requirements

Most common staff software engineer degrees

Bachelor's

66.6 %

Master's

26.3 %

Associate

2.9 %

Start to develop specific staff software engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Java	17.78%
Python	7.81%
Software Development	6.67%
Architecture	5.84%
Object Oriented Programming	3.49%

Complete relevant staff software engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff software engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a staff software engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff software engineer resumes.

Research staff software engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage source code and integration for team with git, svn and Jenkins.
Utilize JavaScript, AJAX and HTML markup to create, edit and manage filters.
Lead the functional verification test team for the security component of IBM z/OS WebSphere.
Lead the development of QDSS windows driver and tool chain to use QDSS features for windows platform.

Get staff software engineer experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a staff software engineer. The most common roles before becoming a staff software engineer include senior software engineer, software engineer team lead and principal software engineer.

Prepare your staff software engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff software engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a staff software engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Software Engineer Resume templates

Build a professional Staff Software Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Staff Software Engineer resume.

Apply for staff software engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a staff software engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do staff software engineers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Staff Software Engineer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023

Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.

Cons

Compensation. Pay and Benefits do not match the time spent on a project. Alabama is the Worst state to live in for SOFTWARE ENGINEER Salaries. 40 to 50 percent less than our peer States.

What is a staff software engineer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Staff Software Engineer?

What are the pros and cons of being a Staff Software Engineer?

Staff Software Engineer career paths

Key steps to become a staff software engineer

Explore staff software engineer education requirements

Most common staff software engineer degrees

Start to develop specific staff software engineer skills

Complete relevant staff software engineer training and internships

Research staff software engineer duties and responsibilities

Get staff software engineer experience

Prepare your staff software engineer resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Software Engineer Resume templates

Apply for staff software engineer jobs

How Did You Land Your First Staff Software Engineer Job

Average staff software engineer salary

How do staff software engineers rate their job?

Staff Software Engineer reviews

Staff Software Engineer jobs by state