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The differences between lead developers and chief technology officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a lead developer, becoming a chief technology officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief technology officer has an average salary of $172,989, which is higher than the $116,340 average annual salary of a lead developer.
The top three skills for a lead developer include java, javascript and architecture. The most important skills for a chief technology officer are infrastructure, cloud, and architecture.
| Lead Developer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,340 | $172,989 |
| Hourly rate | $55.93 | $83.17 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 274,208 | 124,289 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 39 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
The job of chief technology officers (CTOs) is to oversee the technological needs and research and development of an organization. The CTOs, who are like chief information officers, make decisions for a company's technology infrastructure that aligns with the organization's business goals. They must ensure that they are updated on new and existing technologies for them to guide the company's future endeavors. Other responsibilities include fixing issues related to information technology, developing and managing the company's technological resources, and participating in management decisions on corporate governance.
Lead developers and chief technology officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Developer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Average salary | $116,340 | $172,989 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $161,000 | Between $105,000 And $284,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | InPhonex |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead developer and a chief technology officer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Developer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead developers' and chief technology officers' demographics:
| Lead Developer | Chief Technology Officer | |
| Average age | 39 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% | Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |