Skip to contentSkip to footer
  • Community
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Salaries
  • For Employers
      Notifications

      Loading...

      Elevate your career

      Discover your earning potential, land dream jobs, and share work-life insights anonymously.



      Glassdoor

      • About / Press
      • Awards
      • Blog
      • Research
      • Contact Us
      • Guides

      Employers

      • Free Employer Account
      • Employer Center
      • Employers Blog

      Information

      • Help
      • Guidelines
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy & Ad Choices
      • Do Not Sell Or Share My Information
      • Cookie Consent Tool
      • Security

      Work With Us

      • Advertisers
      • Careers
      Download the App

      • Browse by:
      • Companies
      • Jobs
      • Locations
      • Communities
      • Recent Posts

      Copyright © 2008-2026. Glassdoor LLC. "Glassdoor," "Worklife Pro," "Bowls," and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor LLC.

      Company Bowl sample

      Want the inside scoop on your own company?

      Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.

      Bowls

      Get actionable career advice tailored to you by joining more bowls.

      Followed companies

      Stay ahead in opportunities and insider tips by following your dream companies.

      Job searches

      Get personalized job recommendations and updates by starting your searches.

      Total pay trajectory

      Lead Software Engineer
      $183K–$291K/yr
      Senior Manager of Software Engineering
      $278K–$454K/yr
      Principal Software Engineer
      $228K–$367K/yr

      Frequently asked questions about Lead Software Development Engineer salaries

      • The average salary for Lead Software Development Engineer is $203,683 per year or $98 per hour, with top earners making up to $307,014 (90th percentile). Typically, pay ranges from $166,143 (25th percentile) to $253,638 (75th percentile) annually. Salary estimates are based on 706 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Lead Software Development Engineer employees.
      • The highest salary for Lead Software Development Engineer is $253,638 per year, $21,136 per month or $122 per hour.
      • The lowest salary for Lead Software Development Engineer is $166,143 per year, $13,845 per month or $80 per hour.
      • The salary trajectory of Lead Software Development Engineer ranges between locations and employers. The salary starts at $152,833 per year (estimate) and goes up to $473,953 per year (estimate) for the highest level of seniority.

      How much does Lead Software Development Engineer make?

      Total pay range
      $166K - $254K/yr
      $204K/yrMedian total pay
      Pay breakdown
      $128K - $183K/yrBase pay
      $38K - $71K/yrAdditional pay
      How accurate is a total pay range of $166K-$254K/yr?
      Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.

      About our data

      Last updated Apr 10, 2025706 Salaries submitted
      Confident

      Recent salaries shared by Lead Software Development Engineer

      50 salaries

      Job Title | Years of Experience
      Total Pay
      Base • Additional pay
      Location
      Date submitted
      Job Title | Years of Experience
      Location
      Date submitted
      Total Pay
      Base • Additional pay
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      10-14 years
      $167K/yr
      ($157K • $10K)
      San Jose, CA

      submitted on Oct 5, 2023

      $167K/yr
      $157K • $10K
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      4-6 years
      $157K - $183K/yr
      Parsippany, NJ

      submitted on Sep 28, 2023

      $157K - $183K/yr
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      10-14 years
      $181K/yr
      ($181K • $0)
      Boston, MA

      submitted on Aug 24, 2023

      $181K/yr
      $181K • $0
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      4-6 years
      $134K/yr
      ($129K • $5K)
      Dunwoody, GA

      submitted on Aug 18, 2023

      $134K/yr
      $129K • $5K
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      15+ years
      $240K/yr
      ($240K • $0)
      Portland, OR

      submitted on Aug 17, 2023

      $240K/yr
      $240K • $0
      Anonymously share your salary to help the community.
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      0-1 year
      $191K/yr
      ($161K • $30K)
      Greenville, SC

      submitted on Aug 1, 2023

      $191K/yr
      $161K • $30K
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      4-6 years
      $155K - $181K/yr
      Layton, UT

      submitted on Jun 5, 2023

      $155K - $181K/yr
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      10-14 years
      $237K/yr
      ($198K • $39K)
      Raleigh, NC

      submitted on Jun 1, 2023

      $237K/yr
      $198K • $39K
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      4-6 years
      $125K - $146K/yr
      Parsippany, NJ

      submitted on Jun 1, 2023

      $125K - $146K/yr
      Lead Software Development Engineer
      |
      4-6 years
      $356K/yr
      ($204K • $152K)
      Redmond, WA

      submitted on May 16, 2023

      $356K/yr
      $204K • $152K
      1. 1

      2. 2

      3. 3

      4. 4

      5. 5

      Viewing 21 - 30 of 50

      Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

      Illustration of an economist reviewing pay data
      What is the pay outlook for Engineering?
      Engineering jobs are in high demand with workers receiving generous compensation packages and bonuses. Engineering offers ample opportunity for growth and development with transferable skills across an array of fields from software, supply chain and logistics to aerospace. Most roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. To remain competitive, job-seekers should consider specialization or skill-specific programs such as coding boot-camps or certifications.

      Top paying industries

      The top 5 paying industries for Lead Software Development Engineer in United States are Information Technology with a median total pay of $230,789, Retail & Wholesale with a median total pay of $175,519, Financial Services with a median total pay of $172,593, Insurance with a median total pay of $170,825, and Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $167,568.

      Information Technology

      Top paying companies in Information Technology for Lead Software Development Engineer are RealNetworks, Microsoft, and iSoftStone.

      Popular companies for Lead Software Development Engineers

      No results. Please try another search
      0 results