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Global Research of the Average Software Team Leader Salary

Team Lead of IT Researchers
Global Research of the Average Software Team Leader Salary - Alcor BPO profile
5 August 2022
12 min

A software team leader is the leading engineer in a development team, the one who coordinates other developers, makes decisions regarding product development and task distribution, and sets realistic development goals and milestones. Companies from start-up to enterprise levels are normally ready to allocate more resources for hiring these specialists, because a qualified team leader can successfully build and manage a high-performing software team from scratch.

 

If you’re also in need of an experienced development team leader, this article will help you understand the most important hard & soft skills of lead engineers, the main factors influencing the salaries of team leaders in tech, relevant salaries of these IT specialists around the world, and effective ways of hiring such professionals.

 

Expertise and Education of Software Team Leaders Worldwide

 

When it comes to technical leader skills, the first important thing to consider is the following hard ones:

 

  • Technical educational background

Usually, team lead engineers have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, artificial intelligence, or other technical fields.

 

  • Working experience on a technical position

A software team lead should have had real working experience as a software engineer, web developer, QA tester, product manager, or other IT specialist. Practical coding experience helps them understand how code is written and designed to be able to fix bugs/errors and report the results.

 

 

  • Expert knowledge of 2+ programming languages

As regards obligatory programming languages, an average team leader should know at least 2 of them. For example, some software team leaders are required to know JavaScript, TypeScript, and C++ or a combination of other dev languages for creating powerful system web applications.

 

  • Knowledge of other technologies

If we take a team leader with a focus on JavaScript, C++ and TypeScript, they might also have experience with technologies like Node.js, RabbitMQ, WebSockets, and Docker. In the case of cloud infrastructure engineering, a team lead could have Python expertise and knowledge of other technologies like AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD (as seen in the vacancy description below).

 

Team Lead of Cloud Infrastructure Engineering - Alcor BPO

 

  • Knowledge of team management tools

In order to properly distribute tasks, monitor team performance, and measure team effectiveness, a development team leader should know how to use team management tools. The most popular programs are Trello, Jira, Clockify, Zoom, Slack, IDoneThis, etc.

 

  • Advanced level of English

The standard level of English among lead engineers is a C1/C2 advanced level; however, some companies may consider candidates with a B2 level if they understand all the requirements and can communicate in English without problems.

 

Overall, the most essential soft skills of a software team leader are problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication, delegation, teamwork, attention to details, analytical thinking, and strategic planning.

 

Software Team Leader Salary Market Trends

 

Talented software team leaders have always been in huge demand because they are an indispensable asset to every tech team. According to LinkedIn, there are over 386,000 open software development team lead positions just in the United States. On Glassdoor, there are around 171,500 open lead vacancies in this region. It’s estimated that in 2022-2023 the demand for leading development engineers will grow further, just like the average salary for a software team leader. However, this is not the only factor that influences the compensation of these specialists.

 

4 Main Factors That Impact the Average
Software Team Leader Salary

 

In addition to growing demand, the salary of a software team leader also depends on the following four factors:

 

1) Desired skills & knowledge

As mentioned before, a professional team leader should have a higher technical education, know at least two programming languages, be an expert in technologies required by the company, use team management tools effectively, and have an excellent English level. Moreover, this tech specialist must possess the needed soft skills.

 

2) Experience Level

Some developers work as programmers or other IT specialists for only 3-4 years before they become team leaders, while others only land this position after 5-6 years. In general, the career ladder of software team leaders looks like this: (1-2 years), Middle Developer (2-3 years), Senior Developer (4-5 years), Software Team Leader (5 and more years).

 

3) Organization size & type

The software engineer team lead salary also depends on the type of software company. In practice, product tech companies offer a higher compensation for team leading developers, plus better employee bonuses & social packages.

 

4) Location

The highest software team leader salary can be found in the USA, Canada, and Australia, while the lowest compensation is in Central & South America, India, and Eastern European countries like Poland, Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

 

 

Software Team Leader Salary: Key Takeaways

 

Our team conducted comprehensive research to find the average software team leader salary by area. For this purpose, we considered the gross annual pay in USD as of July 2022 from reliable local resources. You can see the results in the table below:

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Northern
America
$119,000 $122,250 $120,000 $121,000 $121,250 $114,500 $116,500
Western & Nordic Europe $81,250 $75,750 $77,000 $77,500 $76,500 $78,500 $75,750
Eastern
Asia
$68,000 $61,250 $54,250 $58,250 $59,000 $60,000 $61,500
South
Africa
$53,500 $49,500 $62,000 $38,000 $39,500 $54,000 $40,500
Central & Eastern Europe $58,500 $63,000 $64,750 $62,000 $64,000 $67,000 $63,750
South & Central America $38,000 $33,750 $34,250 $35,500 $34,500 $35,000 $34,750

 

Average Software Team Leader Salary in North America

 

USA

The average salary for a software team leader from fintech in California is $131,750, while in Washington it is $123,500 per year.

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
California $131,750 $137,500 $130,750 $135,500 $130,750 $127,000 $130,750
New York $131,250 $137,250 $130,500 $135,250 $130,500 $126,500 $130,000
Washington $123,500 $129,500 $122,500 $127,500 $122,500 $118,750 $122,000
Texas $127,500 $133,500 $126,500 $131,500 $126,500 $122,750 $126,000
Illinois $120,500 $126,500 $119,500 $124,500 $119,500 $116,000 $119,250

 

Canada

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Toronto $104,250 $105,750 $108,250 $103,250 $111,500 $100,250 $100,000
Montréal $105,500 $109,250 $109,500 $104,500 $112,750 $101,250 $101,000
Vancouver $108,500 $110,000 $112,500 $107,250 $115,500 $104,000 $104,000

 

Average Software Team Leader Salary
in Central and South America

 

Mexico

The software development team leader salary in Mexico ranges from $40,250 in the RPA/automation industry to $44,500 in the fintech sphere.

 

Brazil

Brazilian team leaders earn $36,750 per year in telecom and $38,000 in e-learning companies.

 

Argentina

The software team leader salary range in Argentina is between $25,250 and $29,750, depending on the industry.

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Mexico $44,500 $40,250 $40,000 $42,750 $41,500 $42,500 $40,500
Brazil $39,500 $35,000 $37,000 $37,500 $36,750 $37,500 $38,000
Argentina $29,750 $26,000 $25,750 $26,000 $25,750 $25,250 $26,000

 

Software Team Leader Income in Western & Nordic Europe

 

United Kingdom

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
England $86,000 $74,250 $81,500 $78,250 $73,750 $83,500 $74,000
Scotland $81,000 $69,500 $76,500 $73,500 $69,000 $78,500 $69,000
Northern Ireland $79,500 $68,000 $75,500 $72,000 $67,500 $76,000 $68,000
Wales $71,500 $60,000 $67,000 $64,000 $59,500 $69,000 $59,500

 

Germany

The highest team lead salaries in Germany are in e-learning, healthcare, and automotive spheres, while the lowest are found in fintech and telecom.

 

France

French automotive team leaders in tech earn around $78,250 yearly, while their colleagues from e-commerce have a compensation of $72,750.

 

Italy

The average software engineer team lead salary in healthcare is approximately $66,000 per year in Italy, while in e-learning it’s $65,500.

 

Spain

Spanish lead developers earn about $61,000 in automotive and $62,500 in the e-commerce industries.

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Germany $77,500 $85,750 $82,250 $86,000 $81,500 $84,000 $86,750
France $77,000 $76,250 $74,500 $78,250 $73,500 $72,750 $72,250
Italy $75,500 $66,000 $67,500 $66,000 $71,000 $65,750 $65,500
Spain $63,500 $61,500 $58,250 $61,000 $59,000 $62,500 $58,250

 

Norway

In fintech and telecom spheres, the salary of technical team leaders is $90,500.

 

Netherlands

Programmers at leading positions in the Netherlands earn around $84,250 in healthcare and $83,000 in the e-learning industry annually.

 

Sweden

E-commerce leading developers in Sweden earn about $90,750 annually.

 

Austria

Austrian automotive team lead engineers have a compensation of $84,500 per annum in general.

 

Belgium

In Belgium, team leaders from different industries can earn $79,000-$88,500 per year.

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Norway $93,000 $89,000 $91,500 $92,500 $93,000 $90,000

$92,000

Netherlands $87,750 $84,250 $81,500 $85,500 $80,500 $80,000 $83,000
Sweden $93,000 $86,250 $87,000 $88,000 $97,500 $90,750 $91,750
Austria $82,500 $81,750 $79,750 $84,500 $87,250 $87,000 $83,000
Belgium $88,500 $83,250 $78,750 $79,000 $80,250 $81,000 $83,000

 

Software Team Leader Salary Range in Eastern Europe

 

Ukraine

Automotive team leaders in IT could earn $60,750, while telecom leading engineers have a compensation of around $68,000 per annum in Ukraine.

 

Poland

In Poland, the average annual RPA software lead salary is $80,000, while the compensation of leading e-learning engineers is $71,250.

 

Romania

Romanian team leaders in tech earn from $44,500 to $53,250 per year.

 

Hungary

Healthcare leading engineers earn about $55,000, while e-commerce leading developers earn $60,500+- per year in Hungary.

 

Czech Republic

The lowest software team leader salary in Czechia is approximately $73,250 per year in RPA, while the highest is $83,250 annually in fintech.

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Ukraine $73,500 $60,250 $67,500 $60,750 $68,000 $67,500 $66,000
Poland $72,000 $75,750 $80,000 $74,000 $74,500 $73,750 $71,250
Romania $53,250 $47,500 $47,250 $46,000 $44,500 $52,750 $48,250
Hungary $58,500 $55,000 $55,500 $54,000 $57,000 $60,500 $57,000
Czech Republic $83,250 $77,250 $73,250 $75,250 $75,750 $81,000 $76,250

 

Software Team Leader Salary in Eastern & South Asia

 

China

Chinese leading developers can earn $56,000 in the RPA industry and $63,250 in the telecom sphere.

 

Japan

The highest development team lead salary in Japan is about $77,000, while the lowest is $62,250 per annum.

 

South Korea

South Korean tech team leaders earn up to $67,500 if they work in fintech companies and $65,000 if their employer is an automotive firm.

 

Singapore

In Singapore, software team leads earn from $69,000 to $100,750 per year, depending on the company.

 

India

Telecom software leaders in India earn circa $25,750 annually, while RPA leads get $19,500.

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
China $67,750 $73,500 $56,000 $59,000 $63,250 $73,000 $64,000
Japan $64,000 $74,000 $68,750 $62,250 $64,000 $67,000 $77,000
South Korea $67,500 $62,000 $57,500 $65,000 $64,000 $65,750 $64,750
Singapore $100,750 $69,000 $69,500 $81,000 $77,500 $69,750 $76,250
India $40,500 $27,500 $19,500 $24,500 $25,750 $23,500 $26,250

 

Software Team Leader Salary in Israel

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Tel Aviv $100,250 $102,750 $102,500 $94,000 $95,250 $93,000 $92,750
Haifa $86,000 $88,500 $88,250 $80,000 $81,250 $79,000 $78,500
Jerusalem $95,750 $100,750 $101,000 $83,500 $86,000 $81,500 $81,000

 

Software Team Leader Salary Range in Australia

 

Gross annual income, USD Fintech Healthcare Automation/RPA Automotive Telecom E-commerce E-learning
Sydney $147,000 $119,500 $123,750 $123,000 $120,750 $123,000 $115,000
Melbourne $138,250 $110,500 $115,000 $114,250 $112,000 $114,000 $106,000
Brisbane $135,500 $107,750 $112,000 $111,500 $109,000 $111,250 $103,250

 

Need a Software Team Lead for Your Development Team?
Alcor BPO has a Hot Offer for You

 

When the French tech product company, Ledger, that develops cryptocurrency wallets, decided to extend their team in Europe, they reached out to Alcor. Within 3 months, we hired 10+ QA specialists for them, including Team Lead and Management positions. We also provided them with complete legal & compliance solutions to avoid offshoring risks and handle taxes & documentation.

 

Alcor is a recruiting agency that focuses on hiring remote senior/lead positions for software product companies in Eastern Europe. Our main tasks involve not only to hire offshore developers but also handle administrative business tasks to support your development team. Alcor’s professional IT recruitment services include executive search for team leaders with rare skills, preparation of blind CVs, composition of weekly analytical reports, preparation of job offers, and other services. We have 40+ IT researchers and recruiters at Alcor for you to hire Eastern European developers, namely Polish programmers, Romanian coders, and developers from Ukraine, using recruitment analysis and established IT hiring processes.

 

Tech Recruitment Services - Alcor BPO

 

Why Eastern Europe? Countries in this region offer affordable development team lead rates and low taxes. In Poland, software team leaders pay from 8% to 14% of personal income tax, while in Romania, there is no income tax for software engineers. Beyond that, local team lead representatives are geographically and culturally close to their Western European colleagues and rank high in their levels of English, according to the EF English Proficiency Index.

 

Apart from the above-mentioned company Ledger, we have also helped People.ai, BigCommerce, Sift, Sitecore, Globality, and many other software product companies to reach their recruitment goals.

 

5/5 - (1 vote)

FAQ

💵 1) How much does a software team leader earn in different countries?

The highest team leader salaries are in the United States, while the lowest could be found in Central & South America and India. Discover a detailed worldwide salary analysis of software team leaders in this article.

💰 2) Where is the most reasonable compensation for team leaders in tech?

The perfect price-quality ratio for software engineering leaders could be found in Eastern European countries like Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechia, and others.

💻 3) What qualifications should a professional development team leader have?

A qualified software team leader should have a technical degree, minimum 3-5 years of working experience at a tech position, excellent knowledge of programming languages, technologies and team management tools required by the company, and fluent English. These specialists must also have the right soft skills (that you can learn about in this article).

📈 4) What factors impact the salaries of technical team leaders?

There are 4 main factors that influence the salaries of tech team leaders: hard & soft skills, experience, company type, and location.

Contact Us

Contact us to receive a free analysis of your positions!

It includes the salary ranges and availability of the requested developers in Poland, Romania, and other countries in EE (as well as time-to-hire metrics and other KPIs for your case).

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