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What is an application development director and how to become one
The application development director is the head honcho of the application development process. The big boss. The buck stops at their desk. Basically, they're in charge of the whole application development process.
The application development director manages a whole team of developers that are helping to turn an application from dream into reality. They make sure that all teams are collaborating properly and that everyone is following the budget, timeline, and quality standards. In addition to working with people, the application development director also needs to have plenty of technical knowledge in order to manage the project and sometimes jump in and code.
It is hard work to be an application development director, and it is even harder work to become one. Most application development directors hold a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science. They also spend years working on application development and in management positions before finally earning the role of application development director.
Avg. Salary $151,898
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 16%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%
Asian 13.39%
Black or African American 6.69%
Hispanic or Latino 10.04%
Unknown 5.20%
White 64.48%
Genderfemale 15.99%
male 84.01%
Age - 47American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 47Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Application development director career paths
Key steps to become an application development director
Explore application development director education requirements
Start to develop specific application development director skills
Skills Percentages Application Development 12.65% Architecture 7.41% Java 6.71% Software Development 6.24% Project Management 5.56% Complete relevant application development director training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New application development directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an application development director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real application development director resumes.Gain additional application development director certifications
More About CertificationsApplication development director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific application development director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for application development directors include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
Research application development director duties and responsibilities
- Manage IP portfolio including strategic partnerships, patents, and licensing.
- Manage the implementation of a SharePoint base project and portfolio management solution and team intranet portal.
- Manage a portfolio of linear and digital projects for multiple executive steering committees utilizing internal and external resources.
- Program manage multiple Disney cross functional business unit teams through new enterprise wide ERP application implementations and custom design applications.
Get application development director experience
Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become an application development director. The most common roles before becoming an application development director include manager applications development, senior software engineer team lead and programmer analyst.Prepare your application development director resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your application development director resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an application development director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable application development director resume templates
Build a professional application development director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your application development director resume.
Apply for application development director jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an application development director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first application development director job
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Average application development director salary
The average application development director salary in the United States is $151,898 per year or $73 per hour. Application development director salaries range between $116,000 and $198,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do application development directors rate their job?
Application development director reviews
Able to see ideation to fruition and achieve success together as a team.
If company is not supportive of new technology advancement.
Reviewing
This can be a tough and demanding job but rewarding in the end since you can see the benefit of the software that you have built through the eyes of the user
Updated January 8, 2025
