← Canon taxonomy

Compare profiles

Side-by-side leveling, scope, and market pay. Add up to four via ?keys=SWE.GEN.P5,SWE.GEN.P6.

vs
P3
SWE.GEN.P3
Software Engineering Mid-Level
P2
SWE.GEN.P2
Associate
P4
SWE.GEN.P4
Senior Engineer
P1
SWE.GEN.P1
Software Engineering Entry-Level
Market pay
LevelP3 · P3 — Mid-Level ProfessionalP2 · P2 — Developing ProfessionalP4 · P4 — Senior ProfessionalP1 · P1 — Entry-Level Professional
FunctionSoftware EngineeringSoftware EngineeringSoftware EngineeringSoftware Engineering
FocusGeneralGeneralGeneralGeneral
Typical years3–51–35–80–2
ScopeFeatures or a sub-system end-to-endDefined deliverables / small featuresA system or set of related featuresOwn tasks within a defined component
AutonomyWorks independently on standard work; reviewed on the non-standardGeneral supervision; reviewed at milestonesSelf-directed; reviewed at critical decision pointsClose supervision; work reviewed frequently
ImpactProject / team outcomesOwn and immediate-team deliverablesMulti-team / function outcomesOwn deliverables
Decision rightsOwns implementation decisions for own scopeRoutine technical choices within guidanceOwns technical decisions for a system; influences adjacent designFew independent decisions; escalates the rest