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The differences between category managers and senior product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a category manager and a senior product manager. Additionally, a senior product manager has an average salary of $133,868, which is higher than the $102,035 average annual salary of a category manager.
The top three skills for a category manager include strategic sourcing, category strategy and supplier performance. The most important skills for a senior product manager are product management, cloud, and product strategy.
| Category Manager | Senior Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,035 | $133,868 |
| Hourly rate | $49.06 | $64.36 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 108,424 | 119,025 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
Category managers are usually employed in the retail industry. They are primarily responsible for the sales enhancement of a specific group of products. The managers are involved in pricing, marketing, inventory, and vendor management. Their daily tasks include meeting with suppliers to talk about the plans, conducting orientation to the market research company, and updating category reports. Qualified applicants must have a degree in business administration or a related field as well as relevant job experience in a related job.
A senior product manager oversees the workflow and workforce involved in product and service development, ensuring a high return for its investments. They are primarily responsible for assessing and providing recommendations, producing review and reference documents, and obtaining feedback from consumers and high-ranking company personnel. Furthermore, as a senior product manager, they must lead a group of product managers, motivating and supervising them in their joint effort to accomplish goals according to the company's standards and policies.
Category managers and senior product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Category Manager | Senior Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,035 | $133,868 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $138,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a category manager and a senior product manager in terms of educational background:
| Category Manager | Senior Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between category managers' and senior product managers' demographics:
| Category Manager | Senior Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| 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% |