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The differences between software development engineers and 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 software development engineer and a software engineer lead. Additionally, a software engineer lead has an average salary of $125,565, which is higher than the $109,147 average annual salary of a software development engineer.
The top three skills for a software development engineer include java, software development and AWS. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Software Development Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $109,147 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $52.47 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 356,971 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software development engineer is responsible for designing and developing software systems and applications based on clients' specifications and business needs. Software development engineers manage operating systems and analyze network codes to maintain the compatibility of the software applications and control systems. They also run diagnostic tests for every software structure to ensure smooth navigations and perform immediate troubleshooting for inconsistencies. A software development engineer must have a strong command of programming languages, as well as technological processes and analytical skills.
A Software Engineer Lead is focused on developing and testing software programs. They manage a team of software engineers that design enterprise software products and operating systems.
Software development engineers and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Development Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $109,147 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $147,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a software development engineer and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Software Development Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software development engineers' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Software Development Engineer | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 32.7% White, 49.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |