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The differences between solution developers and lead developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a solution developer and a lead developer. Additionally, a lead developer has an average salary of $116,340, which is higher than the $89,276 average annual salary of a solution developer.
The top three skills for a solution developer include java, javascript and python. The most important skills for a lead developer are java, javascript, and architecture.
| Solution Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,276 | $116,340 |
| Hourly rate | $42.92 | $55.93 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 252,265 | 274,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Solutions Developers are information technology (IT) professionals who primarily work with clients. They address the needs of clients by creating programs, software, or network infrastructure. Solutions Developers should know their clients and the context of the clients' needs. They help their clients achieve their goals by creating IT solutions. They also ensure that the programs they create would encompass all the needs of the clients. Companies that hire Solutions Developers usually have a preset of programs or software. It is up to the Solutions Developers to personalize the software to suit their clients' requirements.
A lead developer is responsible for creating software programs and applications, following the client and the business's software quality standards and design specifications. Lead developers assist a team of developers in implementing strategic procedures, managing system codes, debugging applications, running diagnostic tests, and troubleshooting defects to ensure its smooth performance. They also respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, performing feature adjustments as needed. A lead developer must have strong knowledge of the technology industry and command on programming languages and software design processes.
Solution developers and lead developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solution Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Average salary | $89,276 | $116,340 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $118,000 | Between $83,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a solution developer and a lead developer in terms of educational background:
| Solution Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between solution developers' and lead developers' demographics:
| Solution Developer | Lead Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |