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Lead software developer salary
Average lead software developer salary
$115,072
Understanding Lead Software Developer Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Lead Software Developer stands at $115,072 per year. This figure represents a strong earning potential within the technology sector, where experienced professionals are highly sought after. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience.
For instance, states like California and New York often offer some of the highest compensation packages for lead developers. Additionally, industries such as finance and healthcare tend to pay more than others, reflecting the demand for specialized technical skills.
Job seekers can enhance their career prospects by targeting these high-paying regions and industries. Understanding salary trends not only aids in salary negotiations but also informs career planning, helping developers align their skills with market needs.
Salary Insights
To dive deeper into salary estimates, Zippia provides comprehensive data on average salaries by state and industry, enabling developers to make informed career choices. Whether you’re considering a new job or negotiating your salary, having this knowledge is invaluable in today’s tech landscape.
Let Zippia find your next lead software developer job
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Where can a Lead Software Developer earn more?
Lead software developer salary estimates from across the web
Average lead software developer salary by state
The average lead software developer salary in California, Washington, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead software developer salary states are Nebraska, North Dakota, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead software developers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $130,395 | $62.69 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $125,140 | $60.16 |
| 3 | California | $132,618 | $63.76 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $113,076 | $54.36 |
| 5 | Nevada | $116,021 | $55.78 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $121,318 | $58.33 |
| 7 | Oregon | $116,473 | $56.00 |
| 8 | Virginia | $115,690 | $55.62 |
| 9 | New York | $121,995 | $58.65 |
| 10 | Utah | $107,020 | $51.45 |
| 11 | Michigan | $110,125 | $52.94 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $117,913 | $56.69 |
| 13 | Maryland | $118,811 | $57.12 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $107,130 | $51.50 |
| 15 | Ohio | $106,337 | $51.12 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $111,391 | $53.55 |
| 17 | Indiana | $110,680 | $53.21 |
| 18 | Alaska | $111,769 | $53.74 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $116,191 | $55.86 |
| 20 | Texas | $108,647 | $52.23 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $105,182 | $50.57 |
| 22 | Delaware | $108,302 | $52.07 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $111,769 | $53.74 |
| 24 | Arizona | $108,177 | $52.01 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $107,134 | $51.51 |
| 26 | Illinois | $109,162 | $52.48 |
| 27 | Maine | $105,137 | $50.55 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $106,077 | $51.00 |
| 29 | Montana | $101,608 | $48.85 |
| 30 | Georgia | $105,450 | $50.70 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $102,827 | $49.44 |
| 32 | Kansas | $100,538 | $48.34 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $104,266 | $50.13 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $97,057 | $46.66 |
| 35 | Vermont | $97,919 | $47.08 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $100,125 | $48.14 |
| 37 | Colorado | $100,194 | $48.17 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $97,057 | $46.66 |
| 39 | Iowa | $99,927 | $48.04 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $102,126 | $49.10 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $94,868 | $45.61 |
| 42 | Alabama | $98,897 | $47.55 |
| 43 | Idaho | $92,343 | $44.40 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $95,651 | $45.99 |
| 45 | Missouri | $96,482 | $46.39 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $97,025 | $46.65 |
| 47 | Florida | $99,227 | $47.71 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $95,016 | $45.68 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $95,124 | $45.73 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $89,044 | $42.81 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $90,676 | $43.59 |
Highest paying cities for lead software developers
The highest-paying cities for lead software developers are San Francisco, CA, Bothell, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $145,622 | $70.01 |
| 2 | Bothell, WA | $132,120 | $63.52 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $122,117 | $58.71 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $121,258 | $58.30 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $117,915 | $56.69 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $116,856 | $56.18 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $113,619 | $54.62 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $111,934 | $53.81 |
| 9 | Farmington Hills, MI | $110,334 | $53.05 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $109,678 | $52.73 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $109,502 | $52.65 |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $108,412 | $52.12 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $108,242 | $52.04 |
| 14 | Columbus, GA | $105,303 | $50.63 |
| 15 | Monroe, LA | $102,589 | $49.32 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $102,143 | $49.11 |
| 17 | Littleton, CO | $100,150 | $48.15 |
| 18 | Tampa, FL | $100,077 | $48.11 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | $99,030 | $47.61 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $97,096 | $46.68 |
Lead software developer salary details
A lead software developer's salary ranges from $87,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead software developer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| Average | $115,072 | $9,589 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
Highest paying lead software developer jobs
The highest paying types of lead software developers are senior/lead developer, software engineer lead, and senior software development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Architect | $114,406 | $9,534 | $55.00 | 319,594 |
| Architect And Developer | $110,970 | $9,248 | $53.35 | 316,181 |
| Software Engineer Lead | $125,565 | $10,464 | $60.37 | 342,462 |
| Web Application Developer | $85,840 | $7,153 | $41.27 | 229,802 |
| NET Developer | $88,984 | $7,415 | $42.78 | 236,690 |
| Developer | $100,076 | $8,340 | $48.11 | 262,570 |
Top companies hiring lead software developers now:
Which companies pay lead software developers the most?
Lead software developer salaries at Microsoft and Pure Storage are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead software developer salary at companies like First Republic Bank and Shopify are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $164,253 | $78.97 |
| 2 | Pure Storage | $163,685 | $78.69 |
| 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 |
| 7 | Bloomberg | $151,362 | $72.77 |
| 8 | The Walt Disney Company | $151,262 | $72.72 |
| 9 | ReSound | $149,934 | $72.08 |
| 10 | Unity Technologies | $147,869 | $71.09 |
| 11 | INRIX | $147,188 | $70.76 |
| 12 | Citi | $146,971 | $70.66 |
| 13 | Barclays | $142,722 | $68.62 |
| 14 | ServiceNow | $142,456 | $68.49 |
| 15 | Fortinet | $139,529 | $67.08 |
| 16 | Thoughtworks | $139,491 | $67.06 |
| 17 | PMC-Sierra | $138,695 | $66.68 |
| 18 | Amazon | $138,440 | $66.56 |
| 19 | 2k | $137,659 | $66.18 |
| 20 | Experian Data Quality | $137,276 | $66.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead Software Developer salary by industry
The average lead software developer salary varies across industries:
- The average lead software developer salary in the manufacturing industry is $115,917, the highest of any industry.
- The average lead software developer salary in the finance industry is $113,741.
- Lead software developers in the finance industry earn an average salary of $110,493, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for lead software developers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $115,917 | $55.73 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $113,741 | $54.68 |
| 3 | Technology | $113,540 | $54.59 |
| 4 | Professional | $111,404 | $53.56 |
| 5 | Telecommunication | $111,224 | $53.47 |
| 6 | Finance | $110,493 | $53.12 |
High paying lead software developer jobs
Lead software developer salary trends
The average lead software developer salary has risen by $21,362 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead software developer earned $93,710 annually, but today, they earn $115,072 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for lead software developers over the last decade.
Compare lead software developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead software developer salary over time
Compare lead software developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead software developer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $115,000 | $55.32 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $111,000 | $53.50 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $109,000 | $52.29 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $107,000 | $51.37 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $105,000 | $50.50 | +1.8% |
Recently added lead software developer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan | Lead Engineer, Software Development-DXP | Dallas, TX | 06/30/2025 | $135,000 |
| State Street Corporation | Technical Lead, Software Engineering & Development | Quincy, MA | 06/28/2025 | $172,744 |
| NES Associates | Software Developer Lead | Annapolis, MD | 06/28/2025 | $114,750 |
| Boeing | Lead Software Developer | Ridley Park, PA | 06/27/2025 | $121,550 |
| Schoolsfirst Fcu | Lead Software Developer | Tustin, CA | 06/27/2025 | $127,961 |
| Highland | Lead Software Developer | Chicago, IL | 06/26/2025 | $135,000 |
| Tax.com | Lead Engineer, Software Development-DXP | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $135,000 |
| General Dynamics Information Technology | Software Developer Lead | Annapolis, MD | 06/24/2025 | $114,750 |
| GE Aerospace | Advanced Lead Engineer-Embedded Software Development | Grand Rapids, MI | 06/24/2025 | $105,600 |
| Schools Financial | Lead Software Developer | Tustin, CA | 06/18/2025 | $127,961 |
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