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The differences between project managers, lead developer and software development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a project manager, lead developer, becoming a software development manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a software development manager has an average salary of $134,747, which is higher than the $106,238 average annual salary of a project manager, lead developer.
The top three skills for a project manager, lead developer include software development, java and javascript. The most important skills for a software development manager are java, AWS, and architecture.
| Project Manager, Lead Developer | Software Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $106,238 | $134,747 |
| Hourly rate | $51.08 | $64.78 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 312,680 | 265,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Project managers, lead developer and software development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager, Lead Developer | Software Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $106,238 | $134,747 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $141,000 | Between $100,000 And $180,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Robert Half | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project manager, lead developer and a software development manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager, Lead Developer | Software Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between project managers, lead developer' and software development managers' demographics:
| Project Manager, Lead Developer | Software Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |