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The differences between senior technical developers and senior software engineers lead 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 technical developer and a senior software engineer lead. Additionally, a senior software engineer lead has an average salary of $129,060, which is higher than the $112,642 average annual salary of a senior technical developer.
The top three skills for a senior technical developer include java, emerging technologies and javascript. The most important skills for a senior software engineer lead are java, architecture, and software development.
| Senior Technical Developer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $112,642 | $129,060 |
| Hourly rate | $54.15 | $62.05 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 325,032 | 322,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior technical developer develops top-notch software architecture and software design. Besides identifying, prioritizing, and executing tasks under the software development field, senior technical developers also develop tools and various applications by creating clean and efficient code. These professionals work hand-in-hand with vendors and internal team members to correct and enhance products. Other duties performed by senior technical developers include updating software with modern technologies, validating and verifying tests, reviewing and debugging code, and automating tasks by using the right tools and through appropriate scripting.
A senior software engineer lead is responsible for overseeing the software creation process. They analyze projects, rectify errors, interpret project requirements, and develop detailed designs. They must create reports of all weekly tasks and ensure best practices are followed by their team.
Senior technical developers and senior software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Developer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $112,642 | $129,060 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $145,000 | Between $96,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | PitchBook Data |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior technical developer and a senior software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Developer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior technical developers' and senior software engineers lead' demographics:
| Senior Technical Developer | Senior Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% |
| 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, 33.4% White, 48.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |