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The differences between developer/consultants 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 a developer/consultant and a lead developer. Additionally, a lead developer has an average salary of $116,340, which is higher than the $98,508 average annual salary of a developer/consultant.
The top three skills for a developer/consultant include java, project management and javascript. The most important skills for a lead developer are java, javascript, and architecture.
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,508 | $116,340 |
| Hourly rate | $47.36 | $55.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 257,985 | 274,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A developer/consultant is responsible for developing system databases and applications, depending on the business' needs and clients' specifications. Developers/consultants design their services to manage optimal performance and maximize productivity for timely submission of projects, ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty. They also handle clients' inquiries and concerns, informing them about necessary adjustments to improve strategic procedures and processes. A developer/consultant must have excellent communication and analytical skills, as well as extensive experience with the technology industry.
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.
Developer/consultants and lead developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Developer | |
| Average salary | $98,508 | $116,340 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $135,000 | Between $83,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a developer/consultant and a lead developer in terms of educational background:
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between developer/consultants' and lead developers' demographics:
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% 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% |