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The differences between senior information technology developers and lead 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 information technology developer and a lead developer. Additionally, a lead developer has an average salary of $116,340, which is higher than the $108,906 average annual salary of a senior information technology developer.
The top three skills for a senior information technology developer include java, software development and spring boot. The most important skills for a lead developer are java, javascript, and architecture.
| Senior Information Technology Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,906 | $116,340 |
| Hourly rate | $52.36 | $55.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 334,136 | 274,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior information technology (IT) developers are IT management professionals who are responsible for writing code and contribute to the design and implementation of software programs. These developers must collaborate with department managers to plan the layout and set up custom department sites while compiling departmental information. They must nurture a team of talented professionals to further accelerate application development, support maintenance, and product evolution. Senior IT developers must also use web services to implement automation of the business process and reduce redundancy.
A lead developer is responsible for creating software programs and applications, following the client and the business's software quality standards and design specifications. Lead developers assist a team of developers in implementing strategic procedures, managing system codes, debugging applications, running diagnostic tests, and troubleshooting defects to ensure its smooth performance. They also respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, performing feature adjustments as needed. A lead developer must have strong knowledge of the technology industry and command on programming languages and software design processes.
Senior information technology developers and lead developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Information Technology Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Average salary | $108,906 | $116,340 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $140,000 | Between $83,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Zendesk | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior information technology developer and a lead developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Information Technology Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior information technology developers' and lead developers' demographics:
| Senior Information Technology Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |