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What is a software leader and how to become one
Software leaders are heads, managers, and mentors of software teams. They have to be highly skilled in software programming--many of them being mavens of Python, Cloud, and Scrum. They also have a penchant for project management, being responsible for the progress of their team.
Software leaders must demonstrate excellent analytical and communication skills. They must be able to gather information from various sources and consolidate it into usable data for their team. They must then be able to communicate their findings and interpretations to their less technologically savvy team members and clients.
Software leaders in the United States earn a yearly salary of $99,000 on average. That's more or less $47 an hour. They often have degrees in computer science, computer engineering, or business. However, experience plays a huge part in snagging the position as much as education. Most software leaders are forty years of age or older, meaning they've been in the business for quite a while.
What general advice would you give to a software leader?
Frank McCown Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Harding University
Avg. Salary $124,694
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 21%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%
Asian 29.88%
Black or African American 4.50%
Hispanic or Latino 8.25%
Unknown 4.82%
White 52.38%
Genderfemale 16.76%
male 83.24%
Age - 38American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 38Stress level is moderate
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Software leader career paths
Key steps to become a software leader
Explore software leader education requirements
Start to develop specific software leader skills
Skills Percentages Java 11.02% Python 6.08% Cloud 5.23% Scrum 5.08% GIT 4.44% Complete relevant software leader training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New software leaders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a software leader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real software leader resumes.Research software leader duties and responsibilities
- Manage daily scrum meetings and plan sprint for agile development.
- Post approval, manage projects and own end to end delivery responsibility working with BA, developers & QA.
- Manage real-time mission critical software projects including entire SDLC (design, requirements, custom development, test and integration).
- Work in the development operations team which oversee development of tools to automate continuous deployment and server monitoring in the cloud.
Get software leader experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a software leader. The most common roles before becoming a software leader include software engineer, senior software engineer team lead and software developer.Prepare your software leader resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your software leader resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a software leader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable software leader resume templates
Build a professional software leader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your software leader resume.
Apply for software leader jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a software leader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first software leader job
Are you a software leader?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average software leader salary
The average software leader salary in the United States is $124,694 per year or $60 per hour. Software leader salaries range between $93,000 and $166,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do software leaders rate their job?
Software leader reviews
Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set
Still have to deal with people :)
I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface
I didn't like how technical it could become
Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.
Compensation. Pay and Benefits do not match the time spent on a project. Alabama is the Worst state to live in for SOFTWARE ENGINEER Salaries. 40 to 50 percent less than our peer States.
Updated January 8, 2025
