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The differences between software development managers and software engineers lead 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 software engineer lead takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software development manager has an average salary of $134,747, which is higher than the $125,565 average annual salary of a software engineer lead.
The top three skills for a software development manager include java, AWS and architecture. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Software Development Manager | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $134,747 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $64.78 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 265,464 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 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 managers and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Development Manager | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $134,747 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $180,000 | Between $93,000 And $168,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a software development manager and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Software Development Manager | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software development managers' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Software Development Manager | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 8% |