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The Lead Product Developer role is critical in driving product innovation and ensuring successful project outcomes. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $122,863 per year. Factors influencing this salary include geographical location, with certain states offering higher compensation due to demand and cost of living adjustments.
For instance, states like California and New York rank among the highest in terms of salary offerings. Additionally, experience level plays a significant role in salary determination; those with extensive expertise often command higher wages. For example, entry-level developers may start at significantly lower salaries, while those with over a decade of experience can see salaries exceeding $150,000.
To enhance your earning potential, consider continuous professional development and specialization in high-demand areas such as AI product development or mobile applications. Job seekers can explore various opportunities on platforms like Zippia, which provides insights into the current job market and salary trends. Understanding the overall landscape can empower you to negotiate effectively and choose the best career path.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level lead product developer | $91,200 | $43.85 |
| Mid-level lead product developer | $97,400 | $46.84 |
| Senior-level lead product developer | $222,000 | $106.54 |
The highest-paying states for lead product developers are Arizona, California, and Rhode Island. The lowest average lead product developer salary states are Kentucky, Indiana, and Alabama.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | $125,584 | $60.38 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $132,458 | $63.68 |
| 3 | California | $136,413 | $65.58 |
| 4 | Nevada | $115,161 | $55.37 |
| 5 | Arizona | $137,357 | $66.04 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $114,524 | $55.06 |
| 7 | Colorado | $119,232 | $57.32 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $117,698 | $56.59 |
| 9 | New York | $129,407 | $62.21 |
| 10 | Maryland | $128,804 | $61.92 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $128,454 | $61.76 |
| 12 | Texas | $117,308 | $56.40 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $116,150 | $55.84 |
| 14 | Illinois | $124,118 | $59.67 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $118,972 | $57.20 |
| 16 | Idaho | $108,400 | $52.12 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $105,399 | $50.67 |
| 18 | Michigan | $103,205 | $49.62 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $101,294 | $48.70 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $103,737 | $49.87 |
| 21 | Oregon | $109,088 | $52.45 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $113,536 | $54.58 |
| 23 | Georgia | $103,894 | $49.95 |
| 24 | Virginia | $110,586 | $53.17 |
| 25 | Utah | $105,172 | $50.56 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $106,754 | $51.32 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $113,397 | $54.52 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $102,824 | $49.43 |
| 29 | Delaware | $110,568 | $53.16 |
| 30 | Iowa | $101,422 | $48.76 |
| 31 | Washington | $101,078 | $48.60 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $110,616 | $53.18 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $92,891 | $44.66 |
| 34 | Florida | $104,342 | $50.16 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $97,214 | $46.74 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $101,240 | $48.67 |
| 37 | Maine | $95,570 | $45.95 |
| 38 | Alaska | $94,315 | $45.34 |
| 39 | Montana | $93,396 | $44.90 |
| 40 | Missouri | $96,450 | $46.37 |
| 41 | Indiana | $91,191 | $43.84 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $99,740 | $47.95 |
| 43 | Kansas | $88,278 | $42.44 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $87,123 | $41.89 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $90,180 | $43.36 |
| 46 | Vermont | $95,527 | $45.93 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $91,344 | $43.92 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $93,992 | $45.19 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $97,791 | $47.01 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $95,163 | $45.75 |
| 51 | Alabama | $90,389 | $43.46 |
The highest-paying cities for lead product developers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Annapolis, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $144,882 | $69.65 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $129,670 | $62.34 |
| 3 | Annapolis, MD | $129,181 | $62.11 |
| 4 | Mentor, OH | $127,712 | $61.40 |
| 5 | Lake in the Hills, IL | $124,816 | $60.01 |
| 6 | Durham, NC | $119,889 | $57.64 |
| 7 | Westminster, CO | $119,133 | $57.28 |
| 8 | San Angelo, TX | $118,627 | $57.03 |
| 9 | Neenah, WI | $114,749 | $55.17 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $113,658 | $54.64 |
| 11 | North Brunswick, NJ | $113,322 | $54.48 |
| 12 | Reston, VA | $111,556 | $53.63 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $103,889 | $49.95 |
| 14 | Boca Raton, FL | $103,599 | $49.81 |
| 15 | Troy, MI | $103,459 | $49.74 |
| 16 | Lancaster, PA | $102,726 | $49.39 |
| 17 | Seattle, WA | $101,614 | $48.85 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $97,402 | $46.83 |
| 19 | Clarksville, TN | $97,088 | $46.68 |
A lead product developer's salary ranges from $87,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $173,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $173,000 | $14,417 | $83 |
| 75th Percentile | $147,000 | $12,250 | $71 |
| Average | $122,863 | $10,239 | $59 |
| 25th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| 10th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
The highest paying types of lead product developers are vice president, product management, vice president product development, and product management director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Manager | $104,550 | $8,712 | $50.26 | 89,627 |
| Vice President, Product Management | $183,231 | $15,269 | $88.09 | 185,361 |
| Product Marketing Manager | $112,220 | $9,352 | $53.95 | 166,047 |
| Research And Development Manager | $117,507 | $9,792 | $56.49 | 125,447 |
| Product Management Director | $156,724 | $13,060 | $75.35 | 170,460 |
| Product Line Manager | $97,237 | $8,103 | $46.75 | 158,908 |
Top companies hiring lead product developers now:
Lead product developer salaries at Meta and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead product developer salary at companies like The Walt Disney Company and Foundation Medicine are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $175,076 | $84.17 |
| 2 | $168,236 | $80.88 | |
| 3 | The Walt Disney Company | $158,660 | $76.28 |
| 4 | Foundation Medicine | $154,923 | $74.48 |
| 5 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $141,128 | $67.85 |
| 6 | BMC Software | $136,504 | $65.63 |
| 7 | BNY Mellon | $136,260 | $65.51 |
| 8 | Corning Incorporated | $134,434 | $64.63 |
| 9 | AT&T | $134,043 | $64.44 |
| 10 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $132,401 | $63.65 |
| 11 | Airline Tariff | $128,890 | $61.97 |
| 12 | BD | $128,559 | $61.81 |
| 13 | Catalent Pharma Solutions | $128,070 | $61.57 |
| 14 | ICONMA | $127,399 | $61.25 |
| 15 | Pinnacle Technical Resources | $126,496 | $60.82 |
| 16 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $125,642 | $60.40 |
| 17 | DIRECTV Puerto Rico | $123,943 | $59.59 |
| 18 | Arthrex | $123,418 | $59.34 |
| 19 | Baker Hughes | $122,662 | $58.97 |
| 20 | Frontage Laboratories | $122,458 | $58.87 |
The average lead product developer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $120,260 | $57.82 |
| 2 | Technology | $119,049 | $57.24 |
| 3 | Automotive | $109,644 | $52.71 |
| 4 | Finance | $102,966 | $49.50 |
The average lead product developer salary has risen by $22,607 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead product developer earned $100,256 annually, but today, they earn $122,863 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for lead product developers over the last decade.
Compare lead product developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare lead product developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $123,000 | $59.07 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $118,000 | $56.86 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $116,000 | $55.79 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $114,000 | $54.94 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $113,000 | $54.50 | +1.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | Lead Product Manager, Developer Platform | Seattle, WA | 06/28/2025 | $216,000 |
| Uber | Lead Product Manager, Developer Platform | San Francisco, CA | 06/28/2025 | $216,000 |
| at&T | Lead Product Management & Develop | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $143,800 |
| at&T | Lead Product Management & Develop | Alpharetta, GA | 06/25/2025 | $143,800 |
| at&T | Lead Product Development Engineer | Bothell, WA | 06/24/2025 | $143,800 |
| Fortune Brands Home & Security | Lead Product Development Engineer | North Olmsted, OH | 06/23/2025 | $105,000 |
| Magnaflow | Lead Product Development Engineer | Oceanside, CA | 06/23/2025 | $98,900 |
| Merck | Strategic Operations Lead, Sterile Product Development | Rahway, NJ | 05/27/2025 | $104,200 |
| Andersen Corporation | R&D Product Development Leader | | Menomonie, WI | 05/24/2025 | $99,216 |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc. | Product Operations Lead | Lincoln RD, Miami Beach | Miami Beach, FL | 05/22/2025 | $46,958 |
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