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The differences between geospatial engineers 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 geospatial engineer and a lead developer. Additionally, a lead developer has an average salary of $116,340, which is higher than the $92,650 average annual salary of a geospatial engineer.
The top three skills for a geospatial engineer include disaster relief, intelligence data and digital data. The most important skills for a lead developer are java, javascript, and architecture.
| Geospatial Engineer | Lead Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,650 | $116,340 |
| Hourly rate | $44.54 | $55.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 178,326 | 274,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Geospatial engineers are known to be recent additions to the engineering family. Their tasks include producing up to date plans, computer-based measuring to map the best position, and providing control point to monitor the future movements of structures like a bridge. They specialize in photogrammetry and remote sensing. They perform basic geographic information systems on navigational data and coastal areas, collect and organize digital features in the geospatial database, and provide imagery and geospatial products to support multiple joint military operations.
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.
Geospatial engineers and lead developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Geospatial Engineer | Lead Developer | |
| Average salary | $92,650 | $116,340 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $132,000 | Between $83,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a geospatial engineer and a lead developer in terms of educational background:
| Geospatial Engineer | Lead Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Geography | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Dartmouth College | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between geospatial engineers' and lead developers' demographics:
| Geospatial Engineer | Lead Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 26.2% White, 56.1% 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% |