Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between software designers 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 software designer and a lead software developer. Additionally, a lead software developer has an average salary of $115,072, which is higher than the $107,449 average annual salary of a software designer.
The top three skills for a software designer include python, java and software development. The most important skills for a lead software developer are java, architecture, and application development.
| Software Designer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,449 | $115,072 |
| Hourly rate | $51.66 | $55.32 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 313,443 | 309,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Software designers transform customers' requirements into services. They analyze customers' needs, conduct negotiations, and create designs based on that data. They typically work with teams of programmers. They are also responsible for creating project documentation.
A lead software developer is responsible for creating and designing software applications and systems to support business functions and client requirements. Lead software developers analyze specifications to build efficient applications, conduct multiple quality testing, and enhance the user's interface. They also coordinate with the design engineers to modify and improve the features of existing software applications for optimal performance. A lead software developer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in considering the current technology trends to meet demands.
Software designers and lead software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Designer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Average salary | $107,449 | $115,072 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $144,000 | Between $87,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Globant | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a software designer and a lead software developer in terms of educational background:
| Software Designer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software designers' and lead software developers' demographics:
| Software Designer | Lead Software Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0% | Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |