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The differences between lead technicians and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a lead technician, becoming a lead engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead technician has an average salary of $90,615, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a lead technician include java, architecture and digital transformation. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Lead Technician | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,615 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $43.56 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 250,590 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Lead technicians are technicians who oversee the technical needs of a specific project or department. They are usually tenured employees, and their familiarity with the company's technical and technological processes, software, and hardware would be a great advantage in succeeding in their role. Lead technicians are responsible for installing, updating, and maintaining various software and hardware components in the office. They often manage a group of technicians, and they ensure that the group they manage is properly trained and well-versed on the processes of the company. Lead technicians are expected to have strong analytical skills and decision-making skills.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Lead technicians and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Technician | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,615 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead technician and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Technician | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead technicians' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Lead Technician | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.1% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |