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Applications Development Director Salary in the United States

How much does an Applications Development Director make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Applications Development Director in the United States is $201,813 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $97.

However, an Applications Development Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $227,633
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $185,627 to $215,328
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $170,890
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Applications Development Director Salaries

An Applications Development Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Applications Development Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Applications Development Director's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $170,156
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $136,715
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $154,745
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $180,248
  • Expert (over 8 years): $200,820
Levels Salary
Applicati... Level Applications Development Director$170,156
Applicati... Level Applications Development Director$136,715
Applicati... Level Applications Development Director$154,745
Applicati... Level Applications Development Director$180,248
Applicati... Level Applications Development Director$200,820
View as Graph

How Do Applications Development Director Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Applications Development Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $223,447.
  • California: $222,600.
  • Massachusetts: $219,633.

Top Paying Cities for Applications Development Directors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $254,547
  • San Francisco: $251,760
  • Oakland: $246,454

What Skills Can Increase an Applications Development Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 16.09% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.31% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Product Management (Mentioned in 1.01% Job Postings): Product management is an organisational lifecycle function within a company dealing with the planning, forecasting, and production, or marketing of a product or products at all stages of the product lifecycle. Similarly, product lifecycle management (PLM) integrates people, data, processes and business systems. It provides product information for companies and their extended supply chain enterprise. The role may consist of product development and product marketing, which are different (yet complementary) efforts, with the objective of maximizing sales revenues, market share, and profit margins. Product management also involves elimination decisions. Product elimination begins with the identification of elimination candidates, proceeds with the consideration of remedial actions, continues with a projection of the impact on the business as a whole if a candidate product is eventually eliminated, and concludes with the implementation stage, where management determines the elimination strategy for an item. The product manager is often responsible for analyzing market conditions and defining features or functions of a product and for overseeing the production of the product. The role of product management spans many activities from strategic to tactical and varies based on the organizational structure of the company. To maximize the impact and benefits to an organization, Product management must be an independent function separate on its own.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 16.09%
Microsoft Office 1.31%
Product Management 1.01%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Applications Development Director's salary.

  • Diversity and Inclusion: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Sustainability: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Financial Services: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Diversity and Inclusion $215,940
7%
Sustainability $213,922
6%
Financial Services $211,904
5%
Get Latest Data

Applications Development Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Applications Development Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Applications Development Director positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Applications Development Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Applications Development Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$252,266$121.025%
Biotechnology$252,266$121.025%
Business Services$252,266$121.025%
Chemicals$252,266$121.025%
Construction$252,266$121.025%

How Education impacts an Applications Development Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Applications Development Directors enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Applications Development Director with a Bachelor's Degree is between $199,980 and $211,949).

Applications Development Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Applications Development Director
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 3.7%
Associates 7.4%
Bachelors 50.8%
Masters 35.4%
Doctorate 1.6%
View as Graph

Applications Development Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Applications Development Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$185,627
Average $201,813/year
$215,328
$15,469
Average $16,818/month
$17,944
$3,570
Average $3,881/week
$4,141
$89
Average $97/hour
$104
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $215,328 $17,944 $4,141 $104
Average $201,813 $16,818 $3,881 $97
25th Percentile $185,627 $15,469 $3,570 $89

Most common benefits for Applications Development Director

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Applications Development Director

Here are companies hiring for Applications Development Director and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Applications Development Director

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Applications Development Director?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Applications Development Director roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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