Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior desktop engineers and software engineers lead can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior desktop engineer and a software engineer lead. Additionally, a software engineer lead has an average salary of $125,565, which is higher than the $114,786 average annual salary of a senior desktop engineer.
The top three skills for a senior desktop engineer include SCCM, powershell and infrastructure. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Desktop Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $114,786 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $55.19 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 264,973 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior desktop engineer identifies problems within computer systems and troubleshoots technical issues. They may also be responsible for creating software images, developing software, and updating schedules. This position requires knowledge in network troubleshooting, DNA storage, and problem-solving skills.
A Software Engineer Lead is focused on developing and testing software programs. They manage a team of software engineers that design enterprise software products and operating systems.
Senior desktop engineers and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Desktop Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $114,786 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $151,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior desktop engineer and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Desktop Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior desktop engineers' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Senior Desktop Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |