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The differences between lead programmers and senior software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a lead programmer, becoming a senior software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a lead programmer has an average salary of $118,938, which is higher than the $114,494 average annual salary of a senior software engineer.
The top three skills for a lead programmer include java, javascript and python. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Lead Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $118,938 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $57.18 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 197,084 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
Lead programmers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $118,938 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $161,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Merrill Lynch | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Retail |
There are a few differences between a lead programmer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 software engineers' demographics:
| Lead Programmer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |