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The differences between senior software managers and software development managers 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 software manager, becoming a software development manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior software manager has an average salary of $145,610, which is higher than the $134,747 average annual salary of a software development manager.
The top three skills for a senior software manager include software development, java and cycle management. The most important skills for a software development manager are java, AWS, and architecture.
| Senior Software Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $145,610 | $134,747 |
| Hourly rate | $70.00 | $64.78 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 139,282 | 265,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A senior software manager leads a testing team. They are responsible for counseling junior staff, managing resources, conducting software testing, and ensuring quality standards are met. This position requires someone who is resourceful and dynamic. They must also hold an advanced degree.
A software development manager is an individual who manages teams of software developers that design and create software applications and web services for clients. Software development managers should delegate duties and establish development standards for the development team as well as create a budget and timeline for the project. They must meet with management to discuss how software applications can achieve business objectives. Once the software has been developed, software development managers must train technical and non-technical end-users. They must also be skilled in different programming languages such as HTML, SQL, and JavaScript.
Senior software managers and software development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $145,610 | $134,747 |
| Salary range | Between $107,000 And $197,000 | Between $100,000 And $180,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | eBay | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior software manager and a software development manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior software managers' and software development managers' demographics:
| Senior Software Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 20.4% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |