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The differences between applications developers and lead developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an applications developer and a lead developer. Additionally, a lead developer has an average salary of $116,340, which is higher than the $89,205 average annual salary of an applications developer.
The top three skills for an applications developer include java, javascript and C++. The most important skills for a lead developer are java, javascript, and architecture.
| Applications Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,205 | $116,340 |
| Hourly rate | $42.89 | $55.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 279,877 | 274,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An application developer is responsible for creating program applications for devices based on clients' specifications and business needs. Application developers must have excellent knowledge of computer systems, as well as a strong command of programming languages to develop customized programs. Duties of an application developer also include running diagnostic tests to ensure the application's performance and stability, providing instruction manuals for reference, performing troubleshooting for any inconsistencies, upgrading design codes for optimization, and launching the application following the client's timetable.
A lead developer is responsible for creating software programs and applications, following the client and the business's software quality standards and design specifications. Lead developers assist a team of developers in implementing strategic procedures, managing system codes, debugging applications, running diagnostic tests, and troubleshooting defects to ensure its smooth performance. They also respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, performing feature adjustments as needed. A lead developer must have strong knowledge of the technology industry and command on programming languages and software design processes.
Applications developers and lead developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Average salary | $89,205 | $116,340 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $118,000 | Between $83,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between an applications developer and a lead developer in terms of educational background:
| Applications Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between applications developers' and lead developers' demographics:
| Applications Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |