Software engineer/technical lead demographics and statistics in the US
Software engineer/technical lead demographics research summary. Zippia estimates software engineer/technical lead demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our software engineer/technical lead estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about software engineers/technical lead after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 359,121 software engineers/technical lead currently employed in the United States.
- 17.0% of all software engineers/technical lead are women, while 83.0% are men.
- The average software engineer/technical lead age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of software engineers/technical lead is White (52.7%), followed by Asian (30.0%), Hispanic or Latino (8.1%) and Unknown (4.8%).
- Software engineers/technical lead are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $160,964, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women software engineers/technical lead earned 94% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for software engineers/technical lead to live.
- Software engineers/technical lead are 52% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
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Software engineer/technical lead demographics by:
Software engineer/technical lead gender statistics
17.0% of software engineers/technical lead are women and 83.0% of software engineers/technical lead are men.
- Male, 83.0%
- Female, 17.0%
Software engineer/technical lead gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 83.0% |
| Female | 17.0% |
Software engineer/technical lead gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$120,286
Female income
$112,782
Software engineer/technical lead gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in software engineer/technical lead positions over time. Currently, 17.0% of software engineers/technical lead are female.
Software engineer/technical lead gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.70% | 19.30% |
| 2011 | 80.49% | 19.51% |
| 2012 | 81.68% | 18.32% |
| 2013 | 81.59% | 18.41% |
| 2014 | 82.55% | 17.45% |
| 2015 | 82.30% | 17.70% |
| 2016 | 83.64% | 16.36% |
| 2017 | 83.18% | 16.82% |
| 2018 | 83.21% | 16.79% |
| 2019 | 82.98% | 17.02% |
| 2020 | 82.93% | 17.07% |
| 2021 | 83.02% | 16.98% |
Software engineer/technical lead related jobs gender ratio
We compared software engineers/technical lead with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Software Engineer/Technical Lead | 83% | 17% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Software engineer/technical lead demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among software engineers/technical lead is White, which makes up 52.7% of all software engineers/technical lead. Comparatively, 30.0% of software engineers/technical lead are Asian and 8.1% of software engineers/technical lead are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 52.7%
- Asian, 30.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.1%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Black or African American, 4.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Software engineer/technical lead race
| Software engineer/technical lead race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 52.7% |
| Asian | 30.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Black or African American | 4.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Software engineer/technical lead race and ethnicity over time
See how software engineer/technical lead racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Software engineer/technical lead race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.76% | 5.41% | 25.81% | 5.59% |
| 2011 | 61.22% | 5.64% | 25.32% | 5.29% |
| 2012 | 60.13% | 5.18% | 26.69% | 5.74% |
| 2013 | 60.52% | 4.70% | 26.51% | 5.55% |
| 2014 | 59.40% | 5.21% | 27.16% | 5.67% |
| 2015 | 58.57% | 5.02% | 27.28% | 6.25% |
| 2016 | 58.08% | 5.01% | 27.99% | 6.25% |
| 2017 | 56.65% | 4.89% | 28.55% | 6.62% |
| 2018 | 57.30% | 4.74% | 27.77% | 7.23% |
| 2019 | 56.47% | 4.83% | 28.96% | 6.85% |
| 2020 | 54.67% | 4.57% | 28.72% | 7.67% |
| 2021 | 52.66% | 4.33% | 30.03% | 8.05% |
Software engineer/technical lead wage gap by race
According to our data, asian software engineers/technical lead have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american software engineers/technical lead have the lowest average salary at $115,841.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $121,142 |
| White | $120,768 |
| Black or African American | $115,841 |
| Asian | $126,481 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $117,473 |
Average software engineer/technical lead age
See how the average age of software engineers/technical lead varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Software engineer/technical lead age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37 | 46 |
| Unknown | 37 | 34 |
| Asian | 38 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Software engineer/technical lead age breakdown
The average age of software engineers/technical lead is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the software engineer/technical lead population.
Software engineer/technical lead age breakdown
| Software Engineer/Technical Lead Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Software engineer/technical lead educational attainment
The most common degree for software engineers/technical lead is bachelor's degree, with 68% of software engineers/technical lead earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Software engineers/technical lead by degree level
| Software engineer/technical lead degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 68% |
| Master's | 25% |
| Associate | 4% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Software engineer/technical lead jobs you might like
Software engineer/technical lead wage gap by degree level
According to the data, software engineers/technical lead with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $141,322 annually. With a Master's degree, software engineers/technical lead earn a median annual income of $131,024 compared to $120,811 for software engineers/technical lead with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $131,024 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $120,811 |
| Doctorate Degree | $141,322 |
Software engineer/technical lead employment statistics
Most software engineers/technical lead work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where software engineers/technical lead work
Below, you can see the size of companies where software engineers/technical lead work.
Software engineer/technical lead jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 14% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 40% |
Software engineer/technical lead jobs by company type
Employees with the software engineer/technical lead job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most software engineers/technical lead prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Software engineer/technical lead jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 52% |
| Private | 45% |
| Government | 1% |
Software engineer/technical lead jobs by industry
The most common industries for software engineers/technical lead are technology, finance and media.
Software engineer/technical lead industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 30% |
| Fortune 500 | 17% |
| Media | 6% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Internet | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Software engineer/technical lead turnover and employment statistics
Software engineer/technical lead unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for software engineers/technical lead between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Software engineer/technical lead unemployment rate by year
| Year | Software engineer/technical lead unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.07% |
| 2015 | 2.26% |
| 2016 | 2.33% |
| 2017 | 2.17% |
| 2018 | 1.80% |
| 2019 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 2.40% |
| 2021 | 2.07% |
Average software engineer/technical lead tenure
The average software engineer/technical lead stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,009 software engineers/technical lead resumes in Zippia's database.
Software engineer/technical lead tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 21% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Software engineer/technical lead LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of software engineers/technical lead that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Communications Distribution Designer | 7.31% | 69,232 |
| Business Analyst/Senior Developer | 8.42% | 179,536 |
| Software Engineer/Technical Lead | 8.46% | - |
| Senior Systems Security Engineer | 8.59% | 136,367 |
| Special Systems Technician | 9.03% | 80,344 |
| Computer Game Designer | 10.54% | 57,545 |
| Help Desk Coordinator | 10.88% | 89,791 |
Similar software engineer/technical lead jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Communications Distribution Designer | 7.31% | 69,232 |
| Business Analyst/Senior Developer | 8.42% | 179,536 |
| Senior Systems Security Engineer | 8.59% | 136,367 |
| Special Systems Technician | 9.03% | 80,344 |
| Computer Game Designer | 10.54% | 57,545 |
| Help Desk Coordinator | 10.88% | 89,791 |
Foreign languages spoken by software engineers/technical lead
The most common foreign language among software engineers/technical lead is Spanish at 15.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 10.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 10.5%.
- Spanish, 15.8%
- Portuguese, 10.5%
- Chinese, 10.5%
- Japanese, 10.5%
- French, 10.5%
- Other, 42.2%
Software engineer/technical lead languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 15.8% |
| Portuguese | 10.5% |
| Chinese | 10.5% |
| Japanese | 10.5% |
| French | 10.5% |
| Other | 42.2% |
