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What is a software project leader and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Frank McCown Ph.D.,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.
The average software project leader salary is $109,474. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a software project leader. Software project leaders with a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a software project leader?

Frank McCown Ph.D.Frank McCown Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.
ScoreSoftware Project LeaderUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $109,474

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.78%

Black or African American 4.61%

Hispanic or Latino 8.38%

Unknown 4.85%

White 52.21%

Gender

female 24.88%

male 75.12%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Software project leader career paths

Key steps to become a software project leader

  1. Explore software project leader education requirements

    Most common software project leader degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.2 %

    Master's

    19.4 %

    Associate

    6.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific software project leader skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Software Development15.32%
    Project Management8.58%
    Scrum8.46%
    C5.66%
    C++5.66%
  3. Complete relevant software project leader training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New software project 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 project leader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real software project leader resumes.
  4. Research software project leader duties and responsibilities

    • Lead daily scrum meetings, organize and chair scrums with cross-functional teams to deliver the product goals and deliverables.
    • Maintain mature java-base web application design to automate highly detail engineering requests for the DoD.
    • Provide guidance and support to scrum team members, remove impediments and assist teams to maximize productivity.
    • Develop excellent debugging, analytical and programming skills.
  5. Get software project leader experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a software project leader. The most common roles before becoming a software project leader include software engineer, senior software engineer team lead and software developer.
  6. Prepare your software project leader resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your software project 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 project 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 project leader resume templates

    Build a professional software project 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 project leader resume.
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
    Software Project Leader Resume
  7. Apply for software project leader jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a software project leader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first software project leader job

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Average software project leader salary

The average software project leader salary in the United States is $109,474 per year or $53 per hour. Software project leader salaries range between $84,000 and $142,000 per year.

Average software project leader salary
$109,474 Yearly
$52.63 hourly

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Software project leader reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.

Cons

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.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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