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The differences between lead programmers and senior programmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a lead programmer and a senior programmer. Additionally, a lead programmer has an average salary of $118,938, which is higher than the $105,509 average annual salary of a senior programmer.
The top three skills for a lead programmer include java, javascript and python. The most important skills for a senior programmer are macro, SAS, and database.
| Lead Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Yearly salary | $118,938 | $105,509 |
| Hourly rate | $57.18 | $50.73 |
| Growth rate | -7% | -7% |
| Number of jobs | 197,084 | 209,882 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Lead programmers and senior programmers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Average salary | $118,938 | $105,509 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $161,000 | Between $78,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Merrill Lynch | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a lead programmer and a senior programmer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead programmers' and senior programmers' demographics:
| Lead Programmer | Senior Programmer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 14.9% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |