Straight forward Career Leveling for Software Engineers
Explore the different levels of software engineering roles from L1 to
L8 in simple terms with no gatekeeping or fluffy jargon.
This leveling system originates from
Hova Lab's work with startups, enterprise, and everything in between.
| Level | Title | Engineering Excellence | Software Design + Architecture | Impact Scope | Level of Ambiguity | Ownership | Team Building |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Junior Engineer | Basic coding skills, learning best practices, follows coding standards with guidance | Works on well-defined components, implements existing patterns | Individual tasks, small features | Clear requirements, well-defined problems | Executes ticket-level work with guidance. Plans within sprint goals and builds context on how their work fits in. | Learns from team, asks questions, participates in team activities |
| L2 | Software Engineer | Proficient in primary tech stack, writes clean, testable code independently | Designs simple systems, understands common patterns and anti-patterns | Full features, multiple related tasks | Some ambiguity, can break down medium-sized problems | Independently owns and delivers features. Plans across sprints and contributes to scoping and estimations. | Collaborates effectively, provides constructive code reviews |
| L3 | Senior Engineer | Expert in multiple technologies, champions best practices, optimizes for performance | Designs complex systems, makes architectural decisions for team-level projects | Team-level impact, cross-functional collaboration | Comfortable with ambiguous requirements, defines technical approach | Owns major systems or components. Plans across quarters, aligning team execution with roadmap goals. | Mentors junior engineers, leads technical discussions |
| L4 | Staff Engineer | Deep expertise, introduces new technologies, establishes engineering standards | Architecs multi-team systems, ensures scalability and maintainability | Multi-team initiatives, cross-functional impact | Thrives in ambiguous environments, defines problems and solutions | Leads initiatives across multiple teams. Aligns technical strategy with product direction across quarters. | Develops team technical capabilities, influences engineering culture |
| L5 | Senior Staff Engineer | Industry-level expertise, drives technical vision, evaluates emerging technologies | Defines architecture for major platform initiatives, ensures long-term scalability | Department-level impact, influences product strategy | Navigates high ambiguity, creates clarity from complex business needs | Owns platform-critical systems. Plans 6–12 months ahead and aligns initiatives across engineering and product. | Builds and develops senior engineers, shapes technical organization |
| L6 | Principal Engineer | Recognized expert, drives company-wide technical standards and innovation | Defines company-wide architectural patterns, leads major technical initiatives | Organization-wide impact, influences business direction | Operates in high uncertainty, defines long-term technical strategy | Owns org-wide architecture and technical direction. Leads multi-year roadmaps that support company strategy. | Develops technical leaders, builds engineering excellence across organization |
| L7 | Distinguished Engineer | Industry thought leader, pioneers new approaches, speaks at major conferences | Invents new architectural paradigms, influences industry standards | Industry impact, shapes technology landscape | Creates new possibilities from uncertainty, defines future technology direction | Owns company-defining innovations. Evangelizes long-range (3–5+ year) strategies with business and technical execs. | Attracts top talent, builds world-class engineering teams |
| L8 | Fellow | Legendary expertise, fundamental contributions to computer science | Creates foundational technologies, defines new computing paradigms | Global impact, shapes the future of technology | Operates in pure ambiguity, creates entirely new fields of study | Owns global-scale innovations. Defines and steers decades-long technical vision aligned with societal evolution. | Builds legendary teams, creates lasting technical legacies |