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The differences between senior front end developers and lead software developers 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 front end developer and a lead software developer. Additionally, a lead software developer has an average salary of $115,072, which is higher than the $110,224 average annual salary of a senior front end developer.
The top three skills for a senior front end developer include front end, javascript and html css. The most important skills for a lead software developer are java, architecture, and application development.
| Senior Front End Developer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,224 | $115,072 |
| Hourly rate | $52.99 | $55.32 |
| Growth rate | 13% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 215,831 | 309,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior front end developers play an important role within a business. They are responsible for overseeing the work of junior front end developers and working closely with back-end developers. They are tasked to implement the user interface and develop patterns and abstractions, emphasizing the efficiency of software products. Other duties include evaluating new technologies, building prototype systems that meet the requirements and quality standards, and interacting and engaging with end-users. They also have to collaborate with the user experience team in designing and implementing software experience.
A lead software developer is responsible for creating and designing software applications and systems to support business functions and client requirements. Lead software developers analyze specifications to build efficient applications, conduct multiple quality testing, and enhance the user's interface. They also coordinate with the design engineers to modify and improve the features of existing software applications for optimal performance. A lead software developer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in considering the current technology trends to meet demands.
Senior front end developers and lead software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Front End Developer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Average salary | $110,224 | $115,072 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $142,000 | Between $87,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior front end developer and a lead software developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Front End Developer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior front end developers' and lead software developers' demographics:
| Senior Front End Developer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 15.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |