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The differences between application managers and development managers 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 manager, becoming a development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, an application manager has an average salary of $122,748, which is higher than the $110,678 average annual salary of a development manager.
The top three skills for an application manager include customer service, project management and application development. The most important skills for a development manager are project management, customer service, and patients.
| Application Manager | Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $122,748 | $110,678 |
| Hourly rate | $59.01 | $53.21 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 125,760 | 111,137 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 10 |
An application manager is in charge of overseeing software applications and systems within a company, ensuring efficiency and quality. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis to identify company needs, assessing existing applications to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and implementing solutions to optimize the quality of services. They may also conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency of applications, performing corrective measures when necessary. Furthermore, as an application manager, it is essential to coordinate with the information technology staff, encouraging them to reach goals and new heights.
A development manager is responsible for assisting existing clients or potential clients of the services they need. A development manager serves as the initial point of contact for the clients to answer their inquiries and concerns before proceeding with a contract. Development managers usually arrange meetings with clients, analyze business opportunities, improve marketing initiatives to attract clients, research the industry's latest trends, create proposals, and assist in training new staff members. A development manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle staff performance and build professional relationships with clients.
Application managers and development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Manager | Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $122,748 | $110,678 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $160,000 | Between $76,000 And $159,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an application manager and a development manager in terms of educational background:
| Application Manager | Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between application managers' and development managers' demographics:
| Application Manager | Development Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% | Male, 60.5% Female, 39.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 13.5% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |