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The differences between directors of software development and software engineers lead 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 engineer lead takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a director of software development has an average salary of $158,853, which is higher than the $125,565 average annual salary of a software engineer lead.
The top three skills for a director of software development include java, software development and cloud. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Director Of Software Development | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $158,853 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $76.37 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 136,310 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 Engineer Lead is focused on developing and testing software programs. They manage a team of software engineers that design enterprise software products and operating systems.
Directors of software development and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Software Development | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $158,853 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $110,000 And $228,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | eBay | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a director of software development and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Software Development | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 engineers lead' demographics:
| Director Of Software Development | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |