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The differences between senior software specialists 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 software specialist and a lead software developer. Additionally, a lead software developer has an average salary of $115,072, which is higher than the $99,874 average annual salary of a senior software specialist.
The top three skills for a senior software specialist include java, C++ and python. The most important skills for a lead software developer are java, architecture, and application development.
| Senior Software Specialist | Lead Software Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,874 | $115,072 |
| Hourly rate | $48.02 | $55.32 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 272,592 | 309,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior software specialists and lead software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Software Specialist | Lead Software Developer | |
| Average salary | $99,874 | $115,072 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $124,000 | Between $87,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | BNY Mellon | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior software specialist and a lead software developer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Software Specialist | Lead Software Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior software specialists' and lead software developers' demographics:
| Senior Software Specialist | Lead Software Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 8% |