What are the main factors that influence a Lead Developer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Lead Developer's salary?

A Lead Developer's salary grows with experience: a UI Designer/Developer II (2-4 years)earns $89,670, a UI Designer/Developer III (4-7 years)earns $115,189, an UI Designer/Developer IV (7+ years)earns $139,304, a UI Designer/Developer V (7-10 years)earns $158,781, an Lead Developer (10+ years)earns $154,324,

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Developer?

Lead Developer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Developer roles are District of Columbia $170,513, California $169,866, Massachusetts $167,603. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Developer roles make?

Salaries for Lead Developer level roles vary by specialization: Lead PHP Developer: $172,725; Lead Application Developer: $158,219; Lead Applications Developer: $156,578; Lead Software Developer: $139,183; Lead iOS Developer: $130,225.

How do different companies affect a Lead Developer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Developer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Lead Developer Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Developer make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Lead Developer in the United States is $154,004 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $74.

However, a Lead Developer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $178,136
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $142,315 to $166,636
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $131,673

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Lead Developer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$166,636	$13,886	$3,205	$80
Average	$154,004	$12,834	$2,962	$74
25th Percentile	$142,315	$11,860	$2,737	$68

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Developer Salaries

A Lead Developer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Developer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Developer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $89,670
Early Career (1-2 years): $115,189
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $139,304
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $158,781
Expert (over 8 years): $154,324

Levels	Salary
UI Design... Level Lead Developer	$89,670
UI Design... Level Lead Developer	$115,189
UI Design... Level Lead Developer	$139,304
UI Design... Level Lead Developer	$158,781
Lead Deve... Level Lead Developer	$154,324

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Developer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Developers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $170,513.
California: $169,866.
Massachusetts: $167,603.

District of Columbia $170,513 California $169,866 Massachusetts $167,603 Washington $166,986 New Jersey $166,925 Alaska $166,709 Connecticut $164,584 New York $163,722

Hawaii $160,965 Rhode Island $159,671 Maryland $158,793 Minnesota $157,592 Colorado $157,130 Illinois $156,976 Oregon $156,391 Delaware $155,960

New Hampshire $155,689 Virginia $155,082 Pennsylvania $153,311 Nevada $152,418 North Dakota $152,125 Michigan $151,663 Wisconsin $151,494 Vermont $151,155

Texas $150,215 Maine $150,154 Arizona $150,061 Ohio $149,954 Georgia $148,537 Indiana $147,828 Wyoming $147,690 Utah $147,474

Iowa $147,382 Kansas $146,643 Louisiana $146,427 North Carolina $146,350 Missouri $146,319 Florida $145,719 Montana $145,395 Nebraska $145,087

Kentucky $144,918 South Carolina $144,302 Tennessee $143,917 Idaho $143,763 New Mexico $142,638 Oklahoma $142,392 Alabama $141,483 South Dakota $139,959

Arkansas $139,127 West Virginia $138,681 Mississippi $137,341

Top Paying Cities for Lead Developers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $194,245
San Francisco: $192,336
Oakland: $188,070

San Jose, CA $194,245

San Francisco, CA $192,336

Oakland, CA $188,070

New York, NY $178,475

Queens Village, NY $177,320

Paramus, NJ $176,088

Passaic, NJ $175,934

Bergenfield, NJ $175,780

Stamford, CT $175,549

Huntington, NY $175,395

Newark, NJ $174,394

Bridgeport, CT $174,086

New Brunswick, NJ $173,578

Vallejo, CA $173,254

Middlesex, NJ $173,162

Somerset, NJ $173,023

Petaluma, CA $172,669

Santa Cruz, CA $172,069

Boston, MA $171,761

Monterey, CA $170,991

Fairbanks, AK $170,883

Los Angeles, CA $170,590

Washington, DC $170,513

Seattle, WA $170,236

Santa Rosa, CA $170,205

Juneau, AK $169,759

Orange, CA $169,250

Anchorage, AK $168,973

Anaheim, CA $168,865

Santa Ana, CA $168,634

Nassau, NY $168,542

Long Beach, CA $168,480

Danbury, CT $168,434

Santa Maria, CA $167,911

Everett, WA $167,880

Bremerton, WA $167,125

Trenton, NJ $166,832

Sacramento, CA $166,771

San Diego, CA $166,694

Brockton, MA $166,632

Tacoma, WA $166,571

Santa Barbara, CA $166,355

Lowell, MA $165,739

New Suffolk, NY $165,677

Nashua, NH $165,493

Lompoc, CA $165,246

Ventura, CA $165,092

Stockton, CA $165,046

New Haven, CT $164,738

Atlantic City, NJ $164,338

Hartford, CT $163,999

Modesto, CA $163,922

Poughkeepsie, NY $163,583

New Britain, CT $163,506

Kennewick, WA $163,290

Olympia, WA $163,290

New London, CT $163,260

Norwich, CT $163,213

Lawrence, MA $163,136

Bakersfield, CA $162,705

New Bedford, MA $162,490

Riverside, CA $162,490

Richland, WA $162,336

Portsmouth, NH $162,212

Vineland, NJ $162,182

San Bernardino, CA $162,058

Boulder, CO $161,627

Worcester, MA $161,504

Portland, OR $161,365

Saint Paul, MN $161,181

Minneapolis, MN $161,181

Philadelphia, PA $160,965

Honolulu, HI $160,149

Springfield, MA $159,610

Providence, RI $159,594

Chicago, IL $159,148

Bellingham, WA $158,963

Baltimore, MD $158,793

Chico, CA $158,408

Wilmington, DE $158,147

Pittsfield, MA $157,993

Manchester, NH $157,700

Spokane, WA $157,022

Denver, CO $157,007

Albany, NY $156,283

Troy, NY $156,222

Schenectady, NY $155,898

Burlington, VT $155,559

Portland, ME $155,020

Salem, OR $154,897

Yakima, WA $154,866

Ann Arbor, MI $154,820

Rochester, MN $154,389

Reno, NV $154,312

Fresno, CA $154,312

Milwaukee, WI $154,173

Detroit, MI $154,019

Allentown, PA $153,973

Carson City, NV $153,958

Houston, TX $153,727

Colorado Springs, CO $153,711

Syracuse, NY $153,634

Eugene, OR $153,342

Gary, IN $153,157

Bismarck, ND $153,157

Galveston, TX $153,157

Springfield, OR $153,034

Medford, OR $152,664

Fort Collins, CO $152,603

Austin, TX $152,479

Mesa, AZ $152,156

Phoenix, AZ $152,125

Dallas, TX $152,079

Reading, PA $151,987

Saint Cloud, MN $151,925

Concord, NH $151,786

Madison, WI $151,725

Utica, NY $151,309

Raleigh, NC $151,186

Las Vegas, NV $151,170

Rochester, NY $151,062

Des Moines, IA $151,047

Atlanta, GA $150,801

Battle Creek, MI $150,754

Salt Lake City, UT $150,708

Lancaster, PA $150,477

Champaign, IL $150,446

Harrisburg, PA $150,262

Durham, NC $150,123

Kansas City, MO $150,108

Kansas City, KS $150,077

Fort Worth, TX $150,061

Boca Raton, FL $150,000

Cleveland, OH $149,984

Columbus, OH $149,954

Pittsburgh, PA $149,938

Richmond, VA $149,877

Indianapolis, IN $149,846

Cincinnati, OH $149,646

Petersburg, VA $149,415

Lansing, MI $149,076

Billings, MT $149,076

Huntsville, AL $149,076

Lebanon, PA $149,060

Pueblo, CO $149,045

Dayton, OH $149,045

Appleton, WI $148,999

Buffalo, NY $148,937

Racine, WI $148,860

Charlotte, NC $148,845

Saint Louis, MO $148,799

Springfield, IL $148,737

York, PA $148,706

Elkhart, IN $148,706

Gastonia, NC $148,691

Benton Harbor, MI $148,691

Beaumont, TX $148,598

Lorain, OH $148,568

Toledo, OH $148,506

Binghamton, NY $148,429

Rock Hill, SC $148,414

Rockford, IL $148,337

Elyria, OH $148,260

Fargo, ND $148,260

Flagstaff, AZ $148,152

Fort Lauderdale, FL $148,059

Miami, FL $147,967

Duluth, MN $147,721

Bangor, ME $147,520

Cedar Rapids, IA $147,351

Louisville, KY $147,274

Grand Rapids, MI $147,243

Hialeah, FL $147,228

Casper, WY $147,012

Scranton, PA $146,827

New Orleans, LA $146,781

Virginia Beach, VA $146,766

Akron, OH $146,689

Peoria, IL $146,489

Sarasota, FL $146,458

Green Bay, WI $146,350

Baton Rouge, LA $146,273

Charleston, SC $146,242

Nashville, TN $146,196

Jamestown, NY $146,165

Davenport, IA $146,165

Tucson, AZ $146,088

Cheyenne, WY $146,042

Saint Petersburg, FL $145,996

Tampa, FL $145,965

Omaha, NE $145,934

Evansville, IN $145,873

Port Arthur, TX $145,873

Bradenton, FL $145,811

Santa Fe, NM $145,534

Orlando, FL $145,380

Clearwater, FL $145,210

La Crosse, WI $144,887

Canton, OH $144,887

Grand Forks, ND $144,841

Tulsa, OK $144,795

Albuquerque, NM $144,795

Newport News, VA $144,779

High Point, NC $144,733

Ogden, UT $144,671

Corpus Christi, TX $144,548

Laramie, WY $144,456

Norfolk, VA $144,456

Rock Island, IL $144,363

Saginaw, MI $144,333

Jacksonville, FL $144,317

Salisbury, NC $144,286

Memphis, TN $144,256

Moline, IL $144,179

Fort Myers, FL $144,132

Waterloo, IA $143,932

Spartanburg, SC $143,778

Lincoln, NE $143,701

Fort Wayne, IN $143,670

Birmingham, AL $143,501

Cedar Falls, IA $143,470

Provo, UT $143,455

Springfield, OH $143,439

San Antonio, TX $143,408

Greensboro, NC $143,347

South Bend, IN $143,331

Winston Salem, NC $143,316

Boise, ID $143,270

Savannah, GA $143,162

Muskegon, MI $142,885

Lima, OH $142,700

Lake Charles, LA $142,638

Anderson, IN $142,608

Lexington, KY $142,561

Augusta, GA $142,515

Greenville, SC $142,515

Wichita, KS $142,377

Tuscaloosa, AL $142,377

Columbia, SC $142,238

Bloomington, IN $141,853

Roanoke, VA $141,761

Asheville, NC $141,560

Knoxville, TN $141,299

Shreveport, LA $141,283

Wilmington, NC $141,083

Frankfort, KY $140,790

Oklahoma City, OK $140,683

Chillicothe, OH $140,621

Longview, TX $140,606

Topeka, KS $140,559

Mobile, AL $140,328

Terre Haute, IN $140,267

Erie, PA $140,251

Altoona, PA $140,174

Melbourne, FL $140,128

Amarillo, TX $140,067

Killeen, TX $140,020

Fayetteville, AR $139,897

Sioux Falls, SD $139,789

Chattanooga, TN $139,697

Idaho Falls, ID $139,682

Gainesville, FL $139,358

Portsmouth, OH $139,281

Little Rock, AR $139,250

Lynchburg, VA $139,250

Youngstown, OH $139,189

Lafayette, LA $139,189

Temple, TX $139,127

Daytona Beach, FL $139,096

Clarksville, TN $139,081

Pensacola, FL $139,066

Hopkinsville, KY $138,604

Charleston, WV $138,588

Florence, SC $138,511

Sioux City, IA $138,419

Macon, GA $137,972

Tallahassee, FL $137,957

Fayetteville, NC $137,926

Wichita Falls, TX $137,895

Waco, TX $137,895

Pine Bluff, AR $137,834

Vincennes, IN $137,541

Lubbock, TX $137,479

Great Falls, MT $137,387

Alamogordo, NM $137,372

Abilene, TX $137,248

Rapid City, SD $137,048

Monroe, LA $137,048

Albany, GA $136,956

Huntington, WV $136,940

Jackson, MS $136,925

Greenville, MS $136,910

Parkersburg, WV $136,756

Montgomery, AL $136,725

Johnstown, PA $136,694

Springfield, MO $136,571

Biloxi, MS $136,494

Sumter, SC $136,170

Columbus, GA $136,155

Twin Falls, ID $136,062

Pascagoula, MS $135,862

Kingsport, TN $135,462

Gulfport, MS $135,416

Alexandria, LA $134,907

Fort Smith, AR $134,522

El Paso, TX $134,107

Helena, MT $133,906

Las Cruces, NM $133,414

Harlingen, TX $132,982

Pocatello, ID $132,844

Florence, AL $132,798

Brownsville, TX $132,767

Dothan, AL $132,520

Mcallen, TX $132,443

Columbus, MS $131,304

Altus, OK $130,595

Lawton, OK $130,303

Pierre, SD $129,748

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Developer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Leadership (Mentioned in 6.58% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Adobe (Mentioned in 2.26% Job Postings): A mixture of wet earth and grass made into bricks and dried in the sun, used to build houses. It originated from the oral form of Arabic al-tob, meaning "brick," It is the first materials used to create buildings in the 8th century B.C
User-Centered Design (Mentioned in 1.85% Job Postings): User-centered design (UCD) is an iterative design process in which designers focus on the users and their needs in each phase of the design process.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Leadership	6.58%
Adobe	2.26%
User-Centered Design	1.85%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Developer's salary.

Product Design: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
User Research: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
UX Design: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Product Design	$166,324	8%
User Research	$163,244	6%
UX Design	$163,244	6%
Innovation	$163,244	6%
Insight	$163,244	6%
Presentation	$161,704	5%

Get Latest Data

Lead Developer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Developer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$142,315

Average $154,004/year

$166,636

$11,860

Average $12,834/month

$13,886

$2,737

Average $2,962/week

$3,205

$68

Average $74/hour

$80

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$166,636	$13,886	$3,205	$80
Average	$154,004	$12,834	$2,962	$74
25th Percentile	$142,315	$11,860	$2,737	$68

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Developer

Salary Trends for Lead Developer

Salaries for a Lead Developer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $141,692 in 2023 to around $137,022 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Developer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Developer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$141,692

2024

$139,668

2025

$137,022

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$141,692
2024	$139,668
2025	$137,022
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Developer

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