Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between directors of software development and software architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a director of software development, becoming a software architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a director of software development has an average salary of $158,853, which is higher than the $114,406 average annual salary of a software architect.
The top three skills for a director of software development include java, software development and cloud. The most important skills for a software architect are java, architecture, and cloud.
| Director Of Software Development | Software Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $158,853 | $114,406 |
| Hourly rate | $76.37 | $55.00 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 136,310 | 319,594 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
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.
A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.
Directors of software development and software architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Software Development | Software Architect | |
| Average salary | $158,853 | $114,406 |
| Salary range | Between $110,000 And $228,000 | Between $82,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | eBay | Aspiration |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a director of software development and a software architect in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Software Development | Software Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between directors of software development' and software architects' demographics:
| Director Of Software Development | Software Architect | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |