At most technology companies, you’ll reach Senior Software Engineer, the career level, in five to eight years. At that point your path branches, and you have the opportunity to pursue engineering management or continue down the path of technical excellence to become a Staff Engineer.
Over the past few years we’ve seen a flurry of books unlocking the engineering manager career path, like Camille Fournier’s The Manager’s Path, Julie Zhuo’s The Making of a Manager and my own An Elegant Puzzle. The management career isn’t an easy one, but increasingly there is a map available
Stories of reaching Staff-plus engineering roles – StaffEng | StaffEng