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The differences between senior development managers and senior software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a senior development manager, becoming a senior software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior development manager has an average salary of $141,487, which is higher than the $114,494 average annual salary of a senior software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior development manager include java, software development and cloud. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Senior Development Manager | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $141,487 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $68.02 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 148,732 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A senior development manager oversees the daily operations of a company's product development team. They mostly have administrative duties, such as spearheading projects and programs, streamlining project requirements, establishing objectives and timelines, setting budgets and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among teams, and monitoring their progress, coordinating every team's efforts to ensure an effective workflow. Being a senior development manager takes years of experience, which they utilize to lead and guide teams in a joint effort to reach project goals and deliver profitable products.
Senior software engineers are experienced employees who would usually take the lead in projects related to software development. They are in charge of determining the needs of the organization, checking whether there are feasible solutions to challenges, and creating plans for the development of a software solution. They provide a sound analysis of data collected during the testing phase of the software and address any problems during the software development phase. Once the software has been developed, they then ensure that it works well and that it addresses the needs and expectations of the users.
Senior development managers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Development Manager | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $141,487 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $106,000 And $188,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior development manager and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Development Manager | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior development managers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Development Manager | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 13.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |