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The differences between associate product developers and product development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an associate product developer, becoming a product development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product development manager has an average salary of $113,437, which is higher than the $66,986 average annual salary of an associate product developer.
The top three skills for an associate product developer include product development, project management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Associate Product Developer | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $66,986 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $32.20 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 126,857 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
An associate product developer oversees the aspects of product marketing in an organization. Associate product developers maintain and source relationships with manufacturers and vendors. They take responsibility for the development of new products. It is their job to facilitate the timely execution of tasks making sure that they are in line with the FDA audit. They use skills in subject matter expertise to create and maintain a manufacturing reference database within an organization.
A product development manager spearheads the development of new products within a company. Most of the time, their responsibilities revolve around conducting marketing research and analysis to determine consumers' needs, coordinating with the product development team to come up with new ideas, proposing business plans to the executives, and creating prototypes. A product development manager must also present a cost analysis, produce progress reports, and address inquiries and concerns. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Associate product developers and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Product Developer | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $66,986 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $95,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Retail |
There are a few differences between an associate product developer and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Associate Product Developer | Product Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between associate product developers' and product development managers' demographics:
| Associate Product Developer | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 10% | 10% |