Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between application development directors and directors of software development can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both an application development director and a director of software development. Additionally, a director of software development has an average salary of $158,853, which is higher than the $151,898 average annual salary of an application development director.
The top three skills for an application development director include application development, architecture and java. The most important skills for a director of software development are java, software development, and cloud.
| Application Development Director | Director Of Software Development | |
| Yearly salary | $151,898 | $158,853 |
| Hourly rate | $73.03 | $76.37 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 100,053 | 136,310 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
The applications development director focuses on ensuring the smooth and productive development process of strategies and applications used in a company. The development director manages a team of developers who will improve, upgrade, and, if needed, replace existing systems and applications currently used in the company. The development director's role is essential for continuing the company's productivity, which is why this position is only open for people with relevant experience in application development and managerial skills. A development director's added tasks are to work with all related departments in the company, collate their application needs, and integrate those inputs to come up with an application that resolves all company problems.
A director of software development is primarily in charge of overseeing the workflow and the workforce involved in the entire software development process. Their responsibilities also include creating strategies for optimal performance, coordinating with different teams and departments to identify strengths and weaknesses, implementing training and workshop programs, and liaising with external agencies, including key clients. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach new heights.
Application development directors and directors of software development have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Development Director | Director Of Software Development | |
| Average salary | $151,898 | $158,853 |
| Salary range | Between $116,000 And $198,000 | Between $110,000 And $228,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | ServiceNow | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an application development director and a director of software development in terms of educational background:
| Application Development Director | Director Of Software Development | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between application development directors' and directors of software development' demographics:
| Application Development Director | Director Of Software Development | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.0% Female, 16.0% | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 13.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 15.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |