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The differences between lead developers and software engineers lead can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead developer and a software engineer lead. Additionally, a software engineer lead has an average salary of $125,565, 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 software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Lead Developer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $116,340 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $55.93 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 274,208 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
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.
Lead developers and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Developer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $116,340 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $161,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead developer and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Lead Developer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between lead developers' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Lead Developer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 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 | 8% | 8% |