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The differences between associate product managers and product directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both an associate product manager and a product director. Additionally, a product director has an average salary of $148,910, which is higher than the $89,963 average annual salary of an associate product manager.
The top three skills for an associate product manager include product management, project management and user stories. The most important skills for a product director are product management, product strategy, and project management.
| Associate Product Manager | Product Director | |
| Yearly salary | $89,963 | $148,910 |
| Hourly rate | $43.25 | $71.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 107,763 | 125,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
An associate product manager is someone who assists the product development teams in the development of new product features. The duties of an associate include formulation of product strategies, collection of quantitative product data, and interpretation of consumer feedback. The requirements to qualify for the position include a bachelor's degree in computer science, marketing, business management, or a related field, the ability to maintain strong customer relations, and excellent communication skills.
The duties of a product director depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the product development operations to ensure smooth flow and efficiency, devise strategies to improve processes, gather relevant data such as sales and customer feedback, and coordinate with different departments in developing new products and services. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage departments to meet goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its mission and vision.
Associate product managers and product directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Product Manager | Product Director | |
| Average salary | $89,963 | $148,910 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $122,000 | Between $104,000 And $212,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Internet |
There are a few differences between an associate product manager and a product director in terms of educational background:
| Associate Product Manager | Product Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between associate product managers' and product directors' demographics:
| Associate Product Manager | Product Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0% | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |