In follow-up to earlier work on a) versions one and two of these technical and related career tracks, b) pathways for career development in product engineering, c) job titles, and d) employee evaluation & career development, here is an updated version three of the career growth tracks.
This version 3 includes software engineering & architecture, quality assurance & test engineering, data science & engineering, infrastructure & systems engineering, product & product management, and design & user experience. This version moves “chief” and “head of” type titles to the discretionary column, keeping only four main levels (contributor, manager, director, and vice president) with three sub-levels designating seniority within each.
The design decisions behind this version: four main levels keep the structure simple enough for any organization to adopt, while the three sub-levels within each (e.g., Manager, Senior Manager, Deputy Director) provide the granularity needed for compensation fairness and promotion milestones. Moving “chief” titles to the discretionary column was deliberate — these roles are organization-specific and should be assigned based on scope and impact, not as the next rung on a ladder.
Note: Salary ranges in the tables below reflect 2017 market data for technology roles in major US metropolitan areas. Adjust for your market, company stage, and current compensation benchmarks.
Level 5: Vice President and Above
| Level | Salary Range | People Management | Engineering | Project Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.2 | $300K - $600K | CTO, Executive Vice President | Chief Scientist & EVP | EVP (Program) |
| 5.1 | $250K - $500K | Senior Vice President | Distinguished Fellow & SVP | SVP (Program) |
| 5 | $200K - $400K | Vice President | Fellow & VP | VP (Program) |
Level 4: Director
| Level | Salary Range | People Management | Engineering | Project Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | $180K - $220K | Executive Director (Group Director) | Architect & Executive Director (Group Director) | Executive Program Director (Group Director) |
| 4.1 | $160K - $200K | Senior Director (Managing Director) | Architect & Senior Director (Managing Director) | Senior Program Director (Managing Director) |
| 4 | $140K - $180K | Director | Architect & Director | Program Director |
Level 3: Manager
| Level | Salary Range | People Management | Engineering | Project Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2 | $140K - $180K | Deputy Director (Associate Director) | Architect & Deputy Director (Associate Director) | Deputy Program Director (Associate Director) |
| 3.1 | $120K - $160K | Senior Manager | Senior Architect | Senior Program Manager |
| 3 | $100K - $140K | Manager | Architect | Program Manager |
Level 2: Contributor
| Level | Salary Range | People Management | Engineering | Project Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2 | $100K - $140K | Lead (Contributor) | Lead Engineer | Lead Project Manager |
| 2.1 | $80K - $120K | Senior (Contributor) | Senior Engineer | Senior Project Manager |
| 2 | $60K - $100K | (Contributor) | Engineer | Project Manager |
Level 1: Entry
| Level | Salary Range | People Management | Engineering | Project Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $45K - $60K | Intern or Apprentice (Contributor) | Intern or Apprentice Engineer | Project Coordinator |
Salary ranges are approximate and vary by market, company size, and industry. Refer to the notes in the spreadsheet for details.
Design & User Experience Track
| Level | Design & UX |
|---|---|
| 5 (VP+) | VP of Design, Head of Design |
| 4 (Director) | Design Director, Director of User Experience |
| 3 (Manager) | Design Manager, UX Manager |
| 2.2 (Lead) | Lead Designer, Lead UX Researcher |
| 2.1 (Senior) | Senior Product Designer, Senior UX Researcher |
| 2 (Contributor) | Product Designer, UX Researcher, Visual Designer |
| 1 (Entry) | Junior Designer, Design Intern |
The design track follows the same level structure as engineering. A Lead Designer is at the same level and compensation band as a Lead Engineer. At the director level and above, design leaders participate in the same leadership forums as engineering and product directors.
Data Science & Engineering Track
| Level | Data Science & Engineering |
|---|---|
| 5 (VP+) | VP of Data, Chief Data Officer |
| 4 (Director) | Director of Data Science, Director of Data Engineering |
| 3 (Manager) | Data Science Manager, Data Engineering Manager |
| 2.2 (Lead) | Lead Data Scientist, Lead Data Engineer |
| 2.1 (Senior) | Senior Data Scientist, Senior Data Engineer, Senior ML Engineer |
| 2 (Contributor) | Data Scientist, Data Engineer, ML Engineer, Data Analyst |
| 1 (Entry) | Junior Data Analyst, Data Science Intern |
Data roles span a wide range from analysts focused on business intelligence to ML engineers building production models. At the contributor level, the distinction between “data scientist” and “data engineer” matters for hiring and skill development. At the manager level and above, leaders typically need fluency across both.
You can copy and customize this framework for your own organization using the Google Sheet version. The interactive version is also embedded below.
As always, I’d love your feedback. Thank you.