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The differences between application development directors and managers applications development can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an application development director, becoming a manager applications development takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an application development director has an average salary of $151,898, which is higher than the $123,527 average annual salary of a manager applications development.
The top three skills for an application development director include application development, architecture and java. The most important skills for a manager applications development are application development, java, and ongoing maintenance.
| Application Development Director | Manager Applications Development | |
| Yearly salary | $151,898 | $123,527 |
| Hourly rate | $73.03 | $59.39 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 100,053 | 181,768 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
The applications development director focuses on ensuring the smooth and productive development process of strategies and applications used in a company. The development director manages a team of developers who will improve, upgrade, and, if needed, replace existing systems and applications currently used in the company. The development director's role is essential for continuing the company's productivity, which is why this position is only open for people with relevant experience in application development and managerial skills. A development director's added tasks are to work with all related departments in the company, collate their application needs, and integrate those inputs to come up with an application that resolves all company problems.
An applications development manager is responsible for keeping businesses running smoothly and effectively through planning, coordinating, and overseeing all activities related to software applications. You will oversee the maintenance, upgrade, and support of existing applications and systems required for the smooth day-to-day operations of the business. Other tasks that you will likely perform include providing estimates for project timeline and cost, overseeing feasibility research on software applications, and diagnosing and troubleshooting program errors. As an applications development manager, you are also responsible for recommending software products and services that will benefit the company.
Application development directors and managers applications development have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Development Director | Manager Applications Development | |
| Average salary | $151,898 | $123,527 |
| Salary range | Between $116,000 And $198,000 | Between $97,000 And $156,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | ServiceNow | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an application development director and a manager applications development in terms of educational background:
| Application Development Director | Manager Applications Development | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between application development directors' and managers applications development' demographics:
| Application Development Director | Manager Applications Development | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.0% Female, 16.0% | Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 13.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |