Software Project Lead

Software Project Lead Salary

$102.5K

$139K

$186K

$141,249

/year

$67.91

/hour

Software Project Lead Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$141,249

Columbus

Ohio

$136,433

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    How much does a Software Project Lead make?

    As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Project Lead in the United States is $141,249 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $67.91 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,716/week or $11,770/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $186,000 and as low as $102,500, the majority of Software Project Lead salaries currently range between $128,000 (25th percentile) to $148,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $182,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Software Project Lead varies little (about 20000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    A Software Project Lead in your area makes on average $136,433 per year, or $4,816 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $141,249. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Project Lead salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Software Project Lead jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Software Project Lead on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Project Lead Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Project Lead job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Edison, NJ, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $33,017 (23.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $33,970 (24.0%) above the $141,249 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Software Project Lead appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Santa Clara, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Software Project Lead role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $175,219

    $84.24

    Edison, NJ

    $174,532

    $83.91

    Cupertino, CA

    $174,266

    $83.78

    Spearfish, SD

    $171,742

    $82.57

    Burleigh County, ND

    $171,491

    $82.45

    Sitka, AK

    $170,160

    $81.81

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $168,046

    $80.79

    Mountain View, CA

    $166,629

    $80.11

    San Francisco, CA

    $166,416

    $80.01

    Santa Clara, CA

    $165,889

    $79.75

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Project Lead Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Software Project Lead job category, we found that Sr Technical Project Manager jobs have average salaries similar than Software Project Lead jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Sr Technical Project Manager

    $133,455

    $64.16

    Infrastructure Project Manager

    $123,103

    $59.18

    Pmp Certified Project Manager

    $122,388

    $58.84

    Lead Project Manager

    $113,978

    $54.80

    Telecom Project Manager

    $92,756

    $44.59

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Software Project Lead salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $141,249 per year or $67.91 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.