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The differences between software development managers and senior development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a software development manager, becoming a senior development manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a senior development manager has an average salary of $141,487, which is higher than the $134,747 average annual salary of a software development manager.
The top three skills for a software development manager include java, AWS and architecture. The most important skills for a senior development manager are java, software development, and cloud.
| Software Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $134,747 | $141,487 |
| Hourly rate | $64.78 | $68.02 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 265,464 | 148,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
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.
A senior development manager oversees the daily operations of a company's product development team. They mostly have administrative duties, such as spearheading projects and programs, streamlining project requirements, establishing objectives and timelines, setting budgets and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among teams, and monitoring their progress, coordinating every team's efforts to ensure an effective workflow. Being a senior development manager takes years of experience, which they utilize to lead and guide teams in a joint effort to reach project goals and deliver profitable products.
Software development managers and senior development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $134,747 | $141,487 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $180,000 | Between $106,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a software development manager and a senior development manager in terms of educational background:
| Software Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between software development managers' and senior development managers' demographics:
| Software Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 13.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |