The Reality of Being a Staff Software Engineer: Salary, Workload, and How To Get Started (2022)

What can you expect to get paid if you get promoted to a position of “Staff” Engineer? We discuss this as well as the work-life balance you can expect to have.

Software engineering is one of the most in-demand and well-paying careers today, and it will likely be one of the most stable for decades to come. If you’re reading this post, you may be considering becoming or are interviewing for a position as a staff software engineer.

4 Day Week is here to help you figure out your next career move and help you find your dream job. In this article, we dive into the nitty-gritty of staff software engineering, including salary, and work-life balance, so you can determine if it’s the right fit for you.

Photo by Radowan Nakif Rehan on Unsplash

What is a Staff Software Engineer?

Before we dive into the details, you may be wondering what exactly a staff software engineer is.

Generally, there are two tracks within software engineering: technical and leadership. A staff software engineer falls into the leadership track, however, most staff software engineers are required to have worked as a technical engineer first. Staff software engineers are senior-level technical professionals hired to oversee and build technical engineering teams. They often report directly to senior leadership, either on their own or as part of a small team.

Staff software engineers are employees who don’t work on contract or as freelancers. As a result, they typically have more stability than freelance software engineers. For this reason and their seniority, staff software engineers are paid more, but their salary depends on experience (more on that later).

What Does a Staff Software Engineer Do?

A staff software engineer’s job is not to write code and build applications, but lead teams and solve complex technical problems. However, things can vary greatly based on the employer and the job itself when it comes to the average day on the job…