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Business program manager vs lead program manager

The differences between business program managers and lead program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a business program manager has an average salary of $122,869, which is higher than the $119,480 average annual salary of a lead program manager.

The top three skills for a business program manager include project management, program management and portfolio. The most important skills for a lead program manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.

Business program manager vs lead program manager overview

Business Program ManagerLead Program Manager
Yearly salary$122,869$119,480
Hourly rate$59.07$57.44
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs384,234200,688
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4447
Years of experience6-

What does a business program manager do?

Business Program Managers oversee specific company programs. They plan for the programs, manage the programs' budget allocation, implement activities, and evaluate the performance. They also lead the employees assigned to handle these programs. They are expected to properly onboard and train these employees to acclimate them with what the programs need. A Business Program Manager should understand the company's main business and the industry it moves in. This understanding helps them create sound strategies that will push their company's performance. This would also help them manage their business programs better.

What does a lead program manager do?

A lead program manager is responsible for coordinating departmental projects and ensuring that the programs adhere to the business guidelines and functions to achieve long-term goals and objectives. Lead program managers strategize techniques in developing business plans and managing budget allocation across departments. They also coordinate with clients for progress updates and modify program plans as needed. A lead program manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to finalize program outputs and assist the team in resolving project issues and delays.

Business program manager vs lead program manager salary

Business program managers and lead program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Business Program ManagerLead Program Manager
Average salary$122,869$119,480
Salary rangeBetween $92,000 And $163,000Between $89,000 And $158,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew JerseyRhode Island
Best paying companyMetaAirbnb
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between business program manager and lead program manager education

There are a few differences between a business program manager and a lead program manager in terms of educational background:

Business Program ManagerLead Program Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Business program manager vs lead program manager demographics

Here are the differences between business program managers' and lead program managers' demographics:

Business Program ManagerLead Program Manager
Average age4447
Gender ratioMale, 58.7% Female, 41.3%Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between business program manager and lead program manager duties and responsibilities

Business program manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead and manage UAT planning and execution.
  • Manage product order-ability in ERP for all Cisco products.
  • Manage integration of customer accounts from merger and acquisition (300K+) and partner-centric (50K) activities into Salesforce.com.
  • Manage a team of 20 skil professionals supporting lean design, configuration and building a solid solution through ERP implementation.
  • Manage new requirements and change requests, system outages and emergencies (weather/upgrades), and ensure ISO and security compliance.
  • Manage SLA for account creation; invoke and manage escalations regarding incomplete/inaccurate data.
  • Show more

Lead program manager example responsibilities.

  • Track and manage SE data, team SharePoint site, status reports and worldwide communications including upper management.
  • Manage implementation of referrals, coordinate assignment of new physicians and create support network for transitioning patients during clinic closure.
  • Evaluate and report on KPIs to measure program effectiveness and value.
  • Recognize as financial systems subject matter expert for key elements of the CRM initiative.
  • Develop a short-term roadmap to the platform eventually being a full on cloud solution.
  • Work with PMO, business stake holders for matrix reporting, issue/risk identification and mitigation.
  • Show more

Business program manager vs lead program manager skills

Common business program manager skills
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Program Management, 10%
  • Portfolio, 6%
  • KPIs, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%
Common lead program manager skills
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Program Management, 10%
  • Portfolio, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Lifecycle Management, 4%
  • Continuous Improvement, 4%

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