Post Job

What is a project manager, lead developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Experts
Brian Glas,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.
The average project manager, lead developer salary is $106,238. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a project manager, lead developer. Project managers, lead developer with a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Project Manager, Lead Developer?

Brian GlasBrian Glas LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Union University

Build relationships: Different technologies will interest and challenge you, but throughout your career, you'll find that it's the relationships that are the most important. This is harder to grasp earlier in your career, but much easier to understand after 15-20 years.
Gain different perspectives: Spend time with people in other roles that your job interacts with, and gain a solid understanding of how they view things; this is most valuable for career progression and understanding of how your work fits into the big picture.
ScoreProject Manager, Lead DeveloperUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $106,238

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.0

Growth Rate 21%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.92%

Black or African American 4.46%

Hispanic or Latino 8.20%

Unknown 4.81%

White 52.45%

Gender

female 19.54%

male 80.46%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress Level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Project Manager, Lead Developer in Ashburn, VA

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Project Manager, Lead Developer career paths

Key steps to become a project manager, lead developer

  1. Explore project manager, lead developer education requirements

    Most common project manager, lead developer degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.3 %

    Master's

    22.1 %

    Associate

    5.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific project manager, lead developer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Software Development8.13%
    Java7.25%
    JavaScript6.43%
    Scrum6.01%
    Application Development4.81%
  3. Complete relevant project manager, lead developer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project managers, lead developer learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project manager, lead developer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project manager, lead developer resumes.
  4. Research project manager, lead developer duties and responsibilities

    • Configure and manage JGroup multicasting communication for apache tomcat web servers.
    • Create build and deployment process for continuous up-time java web application on Linux servers.
    • Deliver a complete JavaScript - base game with JQuery.
    • Add JavaScript menu system and ASP.net controls pulling from XML data sources.
  5. Get project manager, lead developer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a project manager, lead developer. The most common roles before becoming a project manager, lead developer include senior software engineer, software engineer team lead and developer.
  6. Prepare your project manager, lead developer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project manager, lead developer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project manager, lead developer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume templates

    Build a professional Project Manager, Lead Developer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Project Manager, Lead Developer resume.
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
    Project Manager, Lead Developer Resume
  7. Apply for project manager, lead developer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a project manager, lead developer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Project Manager, Lead Developer Job

Zippi

Are you a Project Manager, Lead Developer?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average project manager, lead developer salary

The average Project Manager, Lead Developer salary in the United States is $106,238 per year or $51 per hour. Project manager, lead developer salaries range between $79,000 and $141,000 per year.

Average Project Manager, Lead Developer Salary
$106,238 Yearly
$51.08 hourly

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

How do project managers, lead developer rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Project Manager, Lead Developer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Cons

Zero work life balance and very high project stress


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

not applicable because I dont work as a technical project manager

Cons

not applicable because I dont work as a technical project manager


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Communication and team spirit is very motivating and interesting

Cons

Above 50% Travel can be distracting and I’ll prefer to travel less


Working as a Project Manager, Lead Developer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse computer and mathematical jobs