Development Manager

Career Guide

A Development Manager leads a team that builds and improves software products. They balance people leadership, project delivery, and technical decision-making to ensure work is high quality, delivered on time, and aligned with business goals.

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Key Responsibilities

Lead and coach software engineers through regular feedback and career development
Plan and prioritize work with product and design partners
Deliver projects by coordinating scope, timelines, and resources
Set clear goals and expectations for the team
Review designs and code to maintain quality and reliability
Improve team processes to increase speed and reduce rework
Hire engineers and support onboarding
Manage team performance and resolve delivery risks
Communicate progress and tradeoffs to stakeholders
Promote a healthy team culture and sustainable pace of work

Top Skills for Success

People Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Project Planning

Prioritization

Problem Solving

Hiring

Performance Management

Team Development

Software Architecture Fundamentals

Code Review

Quality Assurance Practices

Delivery Management

Risk Management

Agile Practices

Cloud Fundamentals

Security Awareness

Data Literacy

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Development Manager

Director of Engineering Vice President of Engineering Chief Technology Officer

Transition Opportunities

Product Manager Program Manager Technical Program Manager Solutions Architect

Engineering Operations Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Structured CoachingPerformance FeedbackCross Functional PlanningSystems DesignIncident ManagementBudget ManagementHiring Process DesignMetrics Definition

Development SuggestionsBuild experience by leading a multi-month project, running regular one on ones, and owning hiring for at least one open role. Strengthen technical depth through system design practice and by partnering with senior engineers on architecture reviews. Improve delivery reliability by tracking a small set of team metrics and running clear project check-ins.

Market Intelligence Report

Development Manager is part of the Project Management category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

See the market intelligence report

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 110,000 to 150,000

Mid LevelUSD 150,000 to 200,000

Senior LevelUSD 200,000 to 280,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand, especially in product-led companies and teams modernizing systems. Hiring is strongest for managers who can deliver reliably, develop talent, and work well across product, design, and data teams.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

GoogleMicrosoftAmazonAppleMetaSalesforceOracleIBMAdobeIntuitNetflixShopify

Industry Sectors

TechnologyFinancial ServicesHealthcareRetail and EcommerceMedia and EntertainmentManufacturingTransportation and LogisticsTelecommunicationsGovernment and Defense

Recommended Next Steps

Write a one page summary of your team leadership approach and examples of impact

Create a portfolio of delivered projects with scope, timeline, and measurable outcomes

Practice system design interviews and architecture tradeoff discussions

Develop a repeatable one on one and feedback cadence

Get experience hiring by writing a scorecard and leading interviews

Strengthen stakeholder skills by presenting a quarterly plan and risks to leadership

Close gaps in reliability by learning incident response and post incident reviews

Network with Engineering Managers and Directors for role-specific expectations in your target industry