Is a "Senior Engineer" at a startup the same as L5 at Google? What does "Staff" actually mean? Why do some companies have 15 levels and others have 5? After 10 years of navigating these systems at Google, Meta, and Amazon, I'm going to break down exactly what each level means, how to know where you really stand, and what it takes to move up.
The Standard Tech Ladder (FAANG)
Most big tech companies use a similar leveling structure. Here's the breakdown with Google levels as the baseline (Meta and Amazon equivalents in parentheses):
L3 (E3, SDE1)
Entry LevelNew Grad / Junior Engineer
You're learning the ropes. Expected to ship features with guidance, participate in code reviews, and gradually increase in independence. Scope: individual tasks and small features.
Typical experience: 0-2 years
Impact: Shipping well-defined features
Autonomy: Needs regular guidance
L4 (E4, SDE2)
Mid LevelSoftware Engineer / Mid-Level
You're a solid, independent contributor. Can own features end-to-end, make good technical decisions, and help junior engineers. This is where many engineers plateau. Scope: complete features or small projects.
Typical experience: 2-5 years
Impact: Owns features, contributes to design
Autonomy: Mostly independent
L5 (E5, SDE3)
Senior LevelSenior Software Engineer
You're a technical leader on your team. Drive projects independently, make architecture decisions, mentor others, and have strong domain expertise. Scope: multi-quarter projects affecting your team.
Typical experience: 5-8+ years
Impact: Owns projects, influences team direction
Autonomy: Fully independent, multiplier
L6 (E6, Principal SDE)
Staff LevelStaff Software Engineer
You're a force multiplier. Set technical direction for multiple teams, identify and solve ambiguous problems, and influence beyond your immediate team. This is where it gets hard. Scope: multi-team impact, 6-12 month horizons.
Typical experience: 8-12+ years
Impact: Drives multi-team initiatives, technical vision
Autonomy: Identifies problems, defines solutions
L7 (E7, Senior Principal)
Principal LevelPrincipal / Senior Staff Engineer
You're setting org-level technical strategy. Work spans multiple orgs, you're a recognized expert in your domain, and you're shaping the company's technical future. Very few people reach this level. Scope: org-wide impact, multi-year vision.
Typical experience: 12-15+ years
Impact: Company-wide technical decisions
Autonomy: Defines problems others don't see
L8+ (E8+, Distinguished)
DistinguishedDistinguished / Fellow
You're industry-famous. Think Jeff Dean, Yann LeCun level. Making fundamental contributions to computer science, shaping entire fields, recognized globally. There are maybe 50-100 people at this level across all of FAANG.
Company-Specific Quirks
Google has the most rigorous leveling. L5 is genuinely hard to get - you need to be operating at senior level before they'll promote you. Most people join at L3 or L4, and L4→L5 can take 3-4 years.
L6+ requires going through a senior committee. It's not just your manager's decision - you need clear evidence of multi-team impact. The bar is high, but the level means something across the industry.
Meta (Facebook)
Meta levels faster than Google but calibrates harder on performance. You can go E3→E4→E5 in 3-4 years if you're crushing it. But if you're not performing, you're out - the up-or-out culture is real.
E6 (Staff) is where the real filter happens. You need to show cross-team impact and leadership. E7+ is rare - they want people driving Meta-wide initiatives.
Amazon
Amazon has the most levels (L4-L10 for ICs). The progression is clearer but slower. SDE2→SDE3 is like L4→L5 elsewhere and requires strong ownership and results.
Principal Engineer (L7) at Amazon is roughly equivalent to L6/E6 elsewhere - they have more principals than Google has Staff. Amazon really emphasizes the leadership principles in leveling.
Startups
This is the wild west. "Senior Engineer" at a 20-person startup might be equivalent to L3/L4 at Google. "Staff Engineer" gets thrown around like candy.
When evaluating startup levels, ignore the title. Look at: team size, revenue, technical complexity, and your actual scope. A "Principal" at a Series A might have less scope than a Senior at Google.
What Each Level Actually Does
Forget the job descriptions. Here's what each level looks like in practice:
Junior (L3) - "The Learner"
Day-to-day:
- Picking up tickets from the backlog
- Getting code reviews from senior engineers
- Asking lots of questions (this is expected)
- Learning the codebase and tech stack
Success looks like:
Shipping features without major bugs, asking good questions, showing steady improvement, and starting to contribute to design discussions.
Mid-Level (L4) - "The Executor"
Day-to-day:
- Owning features from design to launch
- Participating in code reviews and design docs
- Helping debug production issues
- Mentoring L3 engineers occasionally
Success looks like:
Consistent, high-quality delivery. Taking ambiguous requirements and turning them into working software. Being someone the team can rely on.
Senior (L5) - "The Leader"
Day-to-day:
- Driving multi-quarter projects
- Making architecture decisions for your team
- Mentoring L3/L4 engineers regularly
- Influencing team roadmap and technical direction
- Running design reviews and setting code standards
Success looks like:
Projects succeed because you're driving them. The team performs better because you're on it. Junior engineers level up faster under your mentorship.
Staff (L6) - "The Multiplier"
Day-to-day:
- Identifying and solving problems that span teams
- Setting technical strategy for your org
- Writing design docs that influence multiple teams
- Unblocking other engineers and projects
- Being the "go-to expert" for your domain
Success looks like:
Multiple teams move faster because of your work. You're preventing problems before they happen. Other engineers seek your input on hard decisions.
Principal (L7) - "The Visionary"
Day-to-day:
- Defining multi-year technical roadmaps
- Making decisions that affect entire organizations
- Representing the company in industry discussions
- Solving problems that don't have obvious solutions
- Mentoring Staff+ engineers
Success looks like:
You're shaping the future of your org/company. Decisions you made 2 years ago are paying off now. People cite your design docs in their own work.
How to Know Your Real Level
Your title doesn't always match your level. Here's how to honestly assess where you stand:
The Scope Test
Look at your last 3-6 months of work. What was the scope?
- Individual tasks: L3
- Complete features: L4
- Multi-quarter projects: L5
- Multi-team initiatives: L6
- Org-wide strategy: L7
The Autonomy Test
How much direction do you need?
- Detailed tickets: L3
- High-level requirements: L4
- Problem statement: L5
- You identify the problem: L6+
The Impact Test
Who benefits from your work?
- Your immediate feature: L3
- Your team: L4
- Your team + others you mentor: L5
- Multiple teams: L6
- Entire org/company: L7
The Truth About Promotions
You Need to Perform at the Next Level First
Promotions aren't rewards for doing your current job well. They're recognition that you're already operating at the next level. If you're an L4 waiting for L5, you need to start doing L5 work now - leading projects, mentoring others, influencing beyond your immediate team. Do it for 6-12 months with clear evidence, then you get promoted.
Promotion Packets Tell Stories
Your manager writes a promotion packet. It needs concrete examples: "Led X project that did Y, resulting in Z impact." Vague statements like "strong performer" don't work. You need numbers, scope, and clear demonstration of next-level competencies. Start documenting your wins now.
Staff+ Is About Leverage
Getting to L6+ isn't about being a 10x engineer who codes faster. It's about making 10 other engineers more effective. Did you create tools that saved the team hundreds of hours? Drive architectural decisions that prevented future problems? Mentor engineers who got promoted? That's the leverage that gets you to Staff.
Many People Plateau - And That's Okay
Not everyone gets to Staff. Not everyone wants to. L5 at Google pays $400K+ and lets you focus on technical work. L6 requires politics, cross-team influence, and ambiguous problem-solving that not everyone enjoys. Know what you want. There's no shame in being a career L5 who's an expert in their domain.
Switching Companies: The Level Game
When you switch companies, you're re-leveled. Here's what actually happens:
Most People Transfer at the Same Level
L5 at Google → E5 at Meta is common. L4 → E4 is common. Companies rarely give you a level bump because switching is already risky for them.
Exception: You're Underleveled
If you're crushing L6 work but stuck at L5 due to promotion timelines, you can sometimes switch companies and level up. But you need proof - projects, scope, impact that clearly demonstrates next-level work.
Startup → BigTech Usually Means Level Down
"Staff Engineer" at a 50-person startup often maps to L4/L5 at Google. The scope and complexity are different. Don't be offended - focus on the total comp and learning opportunities.
Negotiate Your Level
If the recruiter offers L4 but you think you're L5, push back with evidence. Point to specific projects, scope, and impact. Sometimes they'll reassess. Sometimes they won't. But always advocate for yourself.
What Actually Matters
After 10 years of watching people obsess over levels, here's what I've learned:
- Levels are a game, not your worth. An L4 at Google is still in the top 5% of engineers globally. Don't let the ladder make you feel inadequate.
- Impact matters more than title. An L5 who's shipped products millions use has more career capital than an L6 who's optimized obscure infrastructure.
- Growth matters more than level. Are you learning? Building skills? Working on interesting problems? That compounds over decades.
- Know the game you're playing. If you want Staff, understand what's required and work toward it deliberately. If you're happy at Senior, optimize for impact and comp.
- Your level is a signal, not a destination. What matters is the trajectory - are you growing, shipping, and building a career you're proud of?