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The differences between associate product managers and product line managers 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 line manager. Additionally, a product line manager has an average salary of $97,237, 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 line manager are product management, customer service, and PLM.
| Associate Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $89,963 | $97,237 |
| Hourly rate | $43.25 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 107,763 | 158,908 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
A product line manager is an individual who provides product and market intelligence by increasing the market share of a company. Product line managers must create competitive analysis and interpret market trends so that they can provide recommendations and guidance to the company. They are required to identify target markets and should come up with strategies for market penetration. Product line managers must also monitor the creation and development of new products as well as to measure the success of the products in the market.
Associate product managers and product line managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Average salary | $89,963 | $97,237 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $122,000 | Between $52,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ON Semiconductor |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Energy |
There are a few differences between an associate product manager and a product line manager in terms of educational background:
| Associate Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between associate product managers' and product line managers' demographics:
| Associate Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| 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% |