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The differences between lead architects and chief architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief architect has an average salary of $168,836, which is higher than the $104,687 average annual salary of a lead architect.
The top three skills for a lead architect include digital transformation, architecture and java. The most important skills for a chief architect are cloud, infrastructure, and digital transformation.
| Lead Architect | Chief Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $104,687 | $168,836 |
| Hourly rate | $50.33 | $81.17 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 266,541 | 98,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A lead architect spearheads architectural operations while maintaining an active communication line with clients. They typically meet with clients to discuss the project's needs and specifications, agree on a budget, provide advice and recommendations, and negotiate contracts. They are also in charge of developing building designs, coordinating staff, devising plans, incorporating essential systems, and providing technical and guidance as needed. Moreover, as the lead architect of the project, they must enforce policies and regulations to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow.
Chief architects are C-level executives in information technology (IT) who look at IT functions that may be centralized for seamless collaboration. They are also called enterprise architects who design and manage the software release team base on the scrum/agile development methodologies. Their job involves systems analysis, and they project plan in transitioning the Internet operation of MCI to wireless and cable platforms. Also, they offer a disaster recovery solution for a virtual or physical server to a data center in the cloud.
Lead architects and chief architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Architect | Chief Architect | |
| Average salary | $104,687 | $168,836 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $139,000 | Between $111,000 And $255,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Zscaler | |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a lead architect and a chief architect in terms of educational background:
| Lead Architect | Chief Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead architects' and chief architects' demographics:
| Lead Architect | Chief Architect | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |