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Home > Getting the Interview and Job > Beyond the Interview > Understanding Software Engineer Levels and Titles (L3–L7, IC vs EM)

Title Translation

Companies rename the same rungs. A rough, common mapping:

  • L3 → Software Engineer / Engineer I (entry).
  • L4 → Software Engineer / Engineer II (mid).
  • L5 → Senior Software Engineer (senior).
  • L6 → Staff Software Engineer (staff).
  • L7 → Senior Staff / Principal Engineer (principal+).

Beware title inflation. “Senior” at a 12-person startup might mean “can deploy on Fridays without supervision.” At larger companies, Senior (L5) usually means consistent, repeatable impact across complex projects.

Title Translation

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