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Lead Coder Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Lead Bank

Software Engineer V

San Francisco, CA · On-site

About Lead Bank Lead is a banking infrastructure platform trusted by the most innovative companies ... Responsibilities include designing, coding, reviewing, testing, fixing, researching, deploying and ...

cosm

Lead Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$180K - $200K/yr

Set forth quality code guidelines and standards, lead code reviews, and ensure solutions are aligned to pre-defined architectural specifications. * Contribute to high-level strategic decisions with ...

cosm

Lead Software Engineer

Salt Lake City, UT

$180K - $200K/yr

Set forth quality code guidelines and standards, lead code reviews, and ensure solutions are aligned to pre-defined architectural specifications. * Contribute to high-level strategic decisions with ...

Code Ninjas

Coding Instructor - Code Ninjas

San Jose, CA · On-site

$18 - $20/hr

Lead daily coding camp activities and hands-on projects * Engage, mentor, and support campers in their learning * Maintain a fun, structured, and safe classroom environment * Adapt instruction to ...

SuperDial

Tech Lead, Software Engineering

Burlingame, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

Lead code reviews, technical design discussions, and architectural decision-making. About you * 8+ years of experience in full-stack development, with a strong emphasis on back-end systems. * Strong ...

Freshworks

Lead Software Engineer - Backend

San Mateo, CA · Hybrid

$168K - $207K/yr

Lead code reviews, mentor 2-3 engineers, and drive engineering best practices across the team. Elevate overall code quality. * Troubleshoot performance bottlenecks in production and drive long-term ...

Freshworks

Lead Software Engineer - Backend

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$168K - $207K/yr

Lead code reviews, mentor 2-3 engineers, and drive engineering best practices across the team. Elevate overall code quality. * Troubleshoot performance bottlenecks in production and drive long-term ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsLead Coder JobsLead Coder Jobs in California

Lead Coder information

See California salary details

$10

$23

$40

How much do lead coder jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for lead coder in California is $23.01, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.55 and $26.35 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the main responsibilities of a lead coder in managing software development projects?

As a Lead Coder, you'll oversee the technical aspects of software projects, including designing system architecture, reviewing code, and ensuring coding standards are met. You will coordinate with other developers, assign tasks, and provide mentorship to junior team members. Regular collaboration with project managers and stakeholders is also essential to align technical solutions with business goals and timelines. This role requires balancing hands-on coding with leadership and communication responsibilities.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a lead coder, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Lead Coder, you need advanced programming expertise, a deep understanding of software development lifecycles, and often a degree in computer science or a related field. Experience with code versioning tools like Git, familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, and certifications such as AWS Certified Developer or Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer are highly valuable. Strong leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills help a Lead Coder effectively guide teams and manage complex projects. These competencies ensure high-quality code delivery, efficient team collaboration, and the successful execution of software projects.

What is a lead coder?

Lead Coders are experienced software developers who oversee and guide a team of programmers on a project. They are responsible for setting coding standards, reviewing code, and ensuring that the team follows best practices throughout the development process. In addition to writing code themselves, Lead Coders mentor junior developers, coordinate tasks, and act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders. Their leadership helps ensure that projects are completed efficiently, on time, and to a high standard of quality.

What is the difference between Lead Coder vs Software Developer?

AspectLead CoderSoftware Developer
CredentialsTypically requires coding certifications and experience in specific languagesRequires a degree in computer science or related field, with or without certifications
Work EnvironmentLeads coding teams, reviews code, and sets coding standardsFocuses on writing, testing, and maintaining software code
Industry UsageCommon in tech companies, software firms, and development teamsWidely used across all software development sectors
Search & Comparison IntentOften compared for leadership roles in coding teamsCompared for general software development roles

The main difference is that a Lead Coder oversees coding projects and guides team members, while a Software Developer primarily focuses on writing and maintaining code. Lead Coders have leadership responsibilities, whereas Software Developers concentrate on technical tasks.

What cities in California are hiring for Lead Coder jobs? Cities in California with the most Lead Coder job openings:
Lead Coder jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Coder job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 77% Full Time, 19% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $47,866 per year, or $23 per hour.

Software Engineer V

Lead Bank

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

About Lead Bank
Lead is a banking infrastructure platform trusted by the most innovative companies to power complex financial products. We enable fintechs to offer compliant, programmable services like payments, lending, and digital assets at scale. Banking has moved beyond traditional institutions and is now embedded directly into everyday experiences, meaning companies need modern infrastructure that is safe, secure, and operationally sound.
Today, Lead is one of the only API-first, developer-focused partner banks with the financial, regulatory, and legal expertise required to help fintechs succeed. We operate offices in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and New York City, and an FDIC-insured bank in Kansas City.
Engineering Team at Lead
The Engineering team builds and maintains the technology that powers Lead's modern banking platform. Partnering with the Product, Finance, and Compliance teams, they architect secure, scalable financial systems that power money movement, credit and lending, card issuing, and account products for fintechs. Success requires technical excellence, a passion for solving complex infrastructure challenges, and the ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse set of stakeholders. The team is made up of ambitious builders and pragmatic problem solvers who are genuinely excited to see their work reach millions of end users across the globe.
Role Description:
This candidate will have technical ownership of designs and services, while influencing good coding practices amongst peers. Responsibilities include designing, coding, reviewing, testing, fixing, researching, deploying and maintaining services and code in AWS production environments. Candidates are technical leaders in their domain who can prioritize well, develop at a high standard, mentor and navigate ambiguous problem domains, and have a consistent track record of high performance and delivery autonomously.
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties. Team members will also perform all other duties assigned based on business needs.
Basic Qualifications
  • You are passionate about changing the banking system to meet the needs of a digital economy
  • 15+ years of experience developing production software for large scale consumer facing mobile applications.
  • Experience as a Principal Engineer level or above either presently or in the past
  • Advanced Degree in Computer Science or Equivalent experience in lieu of degree
  • Experience leading large feature releases; usually multi-person projects that cross engineering team boundaries within multiple departments
  • Experience architecting scalable backend systems in Java, Go, or Ruby
  • Experience with AWS or other cloud platforms.
  • Experience partnering with cross functional stakeholders on technical approaches to deliver a product from infancy into maturation
  • Experience with leadership/mentorship amongst team members
  • Experience maintaining a high quality code base, consistently delivering challenging, stable, and maintainable projects on schedule.
  • Ability to collaborate/compromise to get to the best, most efficient outcome
  • You are curious, have humility and are open to learning
  • Familiarity with relational databases

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Fintech experience is a plus
  • Ability to perform in a fluid environment with high autonomy

What We Offer:
  • At Lead, we design our benefits to support company culture and principles, to foster an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to create the conditions for our team to give their best in both work and life
  • Competitive compensation, including opportunities for equity grants and cash bonus, based on experience, geographic location, and role
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k Matching, and other wellness benefits, including FSA, HSA and HRA
  • Paid parental leave
  • Flexible vacation policy, including PTO and paid holidays
  • A fun and challenging team environment in a dynamic industry with ample opportunities for career growth

*Lead Bank is proud to have an inclusive culture committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
*Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
*Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. Pay is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on geographical market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. These ranges may be modified in the future.
Zone 1: $223,888 - $280,000 (SF/Bay Area, NYC)

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