Directors of software development have an exceedingly complicated job: they must organize teams of software engineers and other specialists to deliver software products on time and within a tight budget. At companies large and small, a director of software development can mean the difference between a software-centric strategy succeeding or going down in flames.

No pressure, huh? Fortunately, directors of software development are often paid handsomely for this work, especially in some of the country’s largest tech hubs. The following data comes from Blind, which surveys anonymous-but-verified technology professionals on a variety of issues.

It’s no surprise that you’d find the highest compensation for directors of software development within some of the nation’s largest tech hubs, where companies compete fiercely for talent and must often cobble together extraordinary pay packages to keep certain players out of their rivals’ hands. (Pay within the largest tech hubs is often high for all kinds of tech roles.)

In broadest terms, directors of software development are tasked with leading a software team through the design, development, and implementation process. On a more tactical level, that includes setting up (and approving) schedules and budgets, as well as making the inevitable tradeoffs that arise. In addition to marshalling software developers, directors of software development must keep an eye on the QA process, and share information frequently with other stakeholders throughout the organization, including senior leadership.

While the job requires a grasp of technical and project-management skills, you can’t ignore the supreme importance of “soft skills” such as empathy and communication. “Unless you are really deep into a particular technology (AI, ML, hardware, etc.), it’s almost always better to be a generalist,” one anonymous director at Google told Blind last year; that director oversees a team of 150 engineers and earns roughly $1.5 million per year.