As of January 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Technical Lead in the US is $155,894, equivalent to $75 per hour, $2,998 weekly, or $12,991 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Technical Lead in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Technical Lead in the US vary widely, spanning from $137,618 to $177,961. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($146,328) and 75th percentile ($167,445), while top earners (90th percentile) make $177,961 per year. This $21,117 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Project Management or Application Support, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Technical Lead often earn 10.7% above national averages due to demand from Fortune 70 companies and industry startups. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Technical Lead Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Technical Lead Salary $137,618 US January 01, 2026
25th Percentile Technical Lead Salary $146,328 US January 01, 2026
50th Percentile Technical Lead Salary $155,894 US January 01, 2026
75th Percentile Technical Lead Salary $167,445 US January 01, 2026
90th Percentile Technical Lead Salary $177,961 US January 01, 2026
25% $146,328 10% $137,618 90% $177,961 75% $167,445 $155,894 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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Technical Manager

Primo Brands - HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, AR

Technical Lead B

Primo Brands - DALLAS, TX

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What is a Technical Lead ?

A lead programmer is a software engineer in charge of one or more software projects. Alternative titles include development lead, technical lead, lead software engineer, software design engineer lead (SDE lead), software development manager, software manager, or lead application developer. When primarily contributing in a high-level enterprise software design role, the title software architect (or similar) is often used....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
146328
167445
155894

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
158596
204097
180426
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Technical Lead in the United States. The base salary for Technical Lead ranges from $146,328 to $167,445 with the average base salary of $155,894. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $158,596 to $204,097 with the average total cash compensation of $180,426.

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146328
167445

 

Skills associated with Technical Lead: Design, Integration, Across, Direct ...More

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