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The differences between senior/lead developers and 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/lead developer and a developer. Additionally, a senior/lead developer has an average salary of $127,208, which is higher than the $100,076 average annual salary of a developer.
The top three skills for a senior/lead developer include java, C++ and javascript. The most important skills for a developer are javascript, python, and java.
| Senior/Lead Developer | Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $127,208 | $100,076 |
| Hourly rate | $61.16 | $48.11 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 265,829 | 262,570 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lead developer typically works for a software company. They are responsible for designing, developing, and debugging code. They lead a software team and communicate all team activities to their management. They must have creative expertise, great communication skills, and an aptitude for teamwork.
Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible. They are responsible for designing the system through coding and basic user interface design. They also work on troubleshooting any challenges that may be met at the testing stage of the program's development. They solve challenges and ensure that minimal problems will arise upon publishing the system or application. They also manage the evaluation to ensure that the program's goals are accomplished and that the end-users are satisfied with the results.
Senior/lead developers and developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior/Lead Developer | Developer | |
| Average salary | $127,208 | $100,076 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $177,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Atlassian | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior/lead developer and a developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior/Lead Developer | Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior/lead developers' and developers' demographics:
| Senior/Lead Developer | Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |