How to hire a lead software developer

How to hire a lead software developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead software developer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead software developer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead software developer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lead software developer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lead software developer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect lead software developer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of lead software developers.

   Type of Lead Software Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Software Developer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$41-72
   Software Architect	A Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.	$39-75
   Architect And Developer	An Architect And Developer is focused on the technical design, architecture, and development of products. They generally work as a part of the development team.	$40-69

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Architecture
   • Application Development
   • Software Development
   • API
   • JavaScript
   • Python
   • Project Management
   • Scrum
   • Jenkins
   • Html Css
   • Spring Boot
   • HTML
   • Microservices

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Spring MVC are used to manage navigation.
   • Manage technical infrastructure including but not limit to AWS images and instances, deployment procedures and tools, and monitoring.
   • Used and written maven scripts to manage dependencies and to build and deploy the application locally and in DEV environments.
   • Design rich user interface using ASP.NET, HTML and CSS.
   • Develop a lightweight media gallery CDN for marketplace images using windows azure and link lists.
   • Implement a clean UI with cutting edge technologies CSS3.0 and JavaScript using AngularJS, bootstrap and other JavaScript libraries.

   More lead software developer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead software developer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lead software developer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, lead software developers' average salary in south dakota is 33% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lead software developers earn 42% less than senior-level lead software developers.
   • Certifications. A lead software developer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lead software developer's salary.

   Average lead software developer salary

   $115,072yearly

   $55.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead software developer salary

   $87,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average lead software developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$145,622	$70
   2	Washington	$132,120	$64
   3	New York	$122,117	$59
   4	Massachusetts	$121,258	$58
   5	District of Columbia	$117,915	$57
   6	Virginia	$116,856	$56
   7	Pennsylvania	$113,619	$55
   8	New Jersey	$111,934	$54
   9	Michigan	$110,334	$53
   10	Texas	$109,678	$53
   11	Illinois	$109,502	$53
   12	Ohio	$108,412	$52
   13	Arizona	$108,242	$52
   14	Georgia	$105,303	$51
   15	Louisiana	$102,589	$49
   16	Minnesota	$102,143	$49
   17	Colorado	$100,150	$48
   18	Florida	$100,077	$48
   19	North Carolina	$99,030	$48
   20	Missouri	$97,096	$47

   Average lead software developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$164,253	$78.97	513
   2	Pure Storage	$163,685	$78.69	12
   3	First Republic Bank	$157,375	$75.66
   4	Shopify	$155,167	$74.60
   5	Playphone	$154,404	$74.23
   6	Adobe	$154,085	$74.08	112
   7	Bloomberg	$151,362	$72.77	155
   8	The Walt Disney Company	$151,262	$72.72	322
   9	ReSound	$149,934	$72.08	1
   10	Unity Technologies	$147,869	$71.09	26
   11	INRIX	$147,188	$70.76	2
   12	Citi	$146,971	$70.66	51
   13	Barclays	$142,722	$68.62	2
   14	ServiceNow	$142,456	$68.49	90
   15	Fortinet	$139,529	$67.08	53
   16	Thoughtworks	$139,491	$67.06	1
   17	PMC-Sierra	$138,695	$66.68
   18	Amazon	$138,440	$66.56	1,033
   19	2k	$137,659	$66.18	2
   20	Experian Data Quality	$137,276	$66.00

4. Writing a lead software developer job description

   A job description for a lead software developer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead software developer job description:

   Lead software developer job description example

   We invite you to apply for a Lead Software Developer opening to support our systems in the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM). In this role you will lead and participate in software development and support the division's operations, while identifying requirements, process improvements, and system configuration changes. You will also lead the evaluation, development, and implementation of new functionality, processes, systems, and the assessment and incorporation of upgrades for all systems. You may also lead and participate in software development of multiple projects simultaneously.
   Key Functions and Responsibilities
   Act as product owner/champion for one or more products or services Works with leadership and laboratory stakeholders to develop long-range and short-term planning initiatives for necessary systems Lead and participate in designing, coding, verifying, testing, documenting, amending, and refactoring moderately complex programs/scripts Apply standard techniques and tools for developing user stories and eliciting user experience requirements Responsible for all phases of operational data system development at CNM - either individually or by with additional internal resources These phases include solicitation of needs, creation, testing, deployment and maintenance of data systems that are intended to synthesize input from scientific staff, user entry and ANL/external systems in order to create clearly auditable output that meets DOE reporting obligations Anticipate changes in customer/user needs Adapt products, and create product retirement and transition plans Prioritize product and service requirements, develop product roadmaps, and own the product backlogs Exercise technical responsibility and participation across all stages and iterations of software development Measure and monitor applications of project/team standards for software construction, including software security Contribute to the development of organizational policies, standards, and guidelines for software development Implement physical database designs to support transactional data requirements for performance and availability; particular relevance to Department of Energy reporting requirements and work planning and control (WPC) compliance is a must Implement data warehouse designs that support demands for business intelligence and data analytics
   
   Position Requirements
   
   Required skills and qualifications:
   Experience with full-stack application development Knowledge of relational databases and tools including: HTML, PHP, JavaScript, CSS; fluency in Python and Flask; CakePHP frameworks (a plus if Laravel); MySQL: stored procedures, query optimization, etc. Knowledge of software development life cycle, agile development, software testing and debugging Strong service orientation, demonstrated ability to work effectively in a customer-focused service environment Knowledge of personnel and project management principles and tools Ability to be highly responsive, meet demanding deadlines, and prioritize many diverse projects Demonstrated oral and written communication skills including the ability to initiate and foster collaborative relationships Ability to produce secure, reliable, and extendable code Model Argonne's Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork
   
   Preferred skills (not required):
   Knowledge of Laboratory and User Facility systems (e.g., BES reporting requirements, CNM Proposal Lifecycle, Training Management System, General User Proposal System, DSX)
   
   The selected candidate will be placed at the appropriate level (PT4 or PT5) dependent upon the depth and breadth of relevant knowledge and skills. The minimum requirements of the two levels are as follows:
   P

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lead software developer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead software developer job on Zippia to find and recruit lead software developer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with lead software developer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with lead software developer applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead software developer

   Once you've decided on a perfect lead software developer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new lead software developer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a lead software developer?