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The differences between software engineering specialists 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 engineering specialist and a software engineer lead. Additionally, a software engineer lead has an average salary of $125,565, which is higher than the $104,819 average annual salary of a software engineering specialist.
The top three skills for a software engineering specialist include java, software development and python. The most important skills for a software engineer lead are java, python, and software development.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $104,819 | $125,565 |
| Hourly rate | $50.39 | $60.37 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 260,865 | 342,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software engineering specialist designs and develops software engineering components. Moreover, they evaluate technical architecture and framework. They conduct tests on software and carry out any updates that are needed. Strong teamwork and communication skills are necessary for this position.
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 engineering specialists and software engineers lead have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average salary | $104,819 | $125,565 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $133,000 | 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 | Media | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a software engineering specialist and a software engineer lead in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software engineering specialists' and software engineers lead' demographics:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Engineer Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 4.5% 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% |