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The differences between department leads and senior software engineers lead can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a department lead, becoming a senior software engineer lead takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior software engineer lead has an average salary of $129,060, which is higher than the $42,113 average annual salary of a department lead.
The top three skills for a department lead include cleanliness, safety procedures and customer service. The most important skills for a senior software engineer lead are java, architecture, and software development.
| Department Lead | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $42,113 | $129,060 |
| Hourly rate | $20.25 | $62.05 |
| Growth rate | - | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 204,534 | 322,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A department lead's responsibilities will vary in an organization or company. It will, most of the time, revolve around overseeing the progress of work in a particular area and evaluating department staff's performance. Other responsibilities include setting goals and implementing the company's policies and guidelines. They may also carry out administrative tasks such as approving and signing paperwork, producing reports and presentations, and crafting guidelines and strategies to help reach goals. Furthermore, as a department head, it is important to encourage staff and shape them into valuable company members.
A senior software engineer lead is responsible for overseeing the software creation process. They analyze projects, rectify errors, interpret project requirements, and develop detailed designs. They must create reports of all weekly tasks and ensure best practices are followed by their team.
Department leads and senior software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Lead | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $42,113 | $129,060 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $79,000 | Between $96,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Haven, CT | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Tufts Medical Center | PitchBook Data |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a department lead and a senior software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Department Lead | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between department leads' and senior software engineers lead' demographics:
| Department Lead | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3% | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 33.4% White, 48.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |