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The differences between technical managers and technical team leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a technical manager and a technical team lead. Additionally, a technical manager has an average salary of $116,619, which is higher than the $90,219 average annual salary of a technical team lead.
The top three skills for a technical manager include project management, infrastructure and architecture. The most important skills for a technical team lead are customer service, patients, and java.
| Technical Manager | Technical Team Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $116,619 | $90,219 |
| Hourly rate | $56.07 | $43.37 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 116,732 | 254,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
The responsibilities of a technical team lead revolve around overseeing the progress and performance of a technical team, ensuring they are functioning efficiently. They mostly delegate tasks, manage schedules, set goals, produce reports and presentations, respond to correspondence, and coordinate with staff, clients, and other department personnel to ensure accuracy and timeliness for all projects. As the leader, it is crucial to implement the policies and regulations of the company, all while leading and encouraging the staff to reach goals.
Technical managers and technical team leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Manager | Technical Team Lead | |
| Average salary | $116,619 | $90,219 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $161,000 | Between $66,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | A.T. Kearney | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a technical manager and a technical team lead in terms of educational background:
| Technical Manager | Technical Team Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical managers' and technical team leads' demographics:
| Technical Manager | Technical Team Lead | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 14.5% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 11% |