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The differences between consultants in product development and 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 consultant in product development and a product manager. Additionally, a product manager has an average salary of $111,729, which is higher than the $111,727 average annual salary of a consultant in product development.
The top three skills for a consultant in product development include cycle management, business development and product development. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Consultant In Product Development | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $111,727 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $53.71 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 138,422 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
Product development consultants create products with enhanced or additional features to help their clients remain competitive. They evaluate the proposed designs of products before advising their team to start its development. Their jobs are mainly to report on actions to improve the product proposals and give constructive criticisms regarding the staff's performance during meetings or group huddles. They must also have strong written and verbal communication skills, knowledge in product development processes, and detail orientation to perform the duties of the job well.
A product manager is responsible for ensuring product development, providing the best marketing strategies, and effectively handling the sales and marketing team. Product managers' duties include monitoring the market trends and conditions, identifying business opportunities and plan initiatives, and collaborating the product launch process with the appropriate departments. A product manager is also responsible for generating ideas on improving product features, determining timetables and reasonable pricing, and analyzing product sales. A product manager must have excellent strategic and decision-making skills to contribute to its growth and profitability.
Consultants in product development and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant In Product Development | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $111,727 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $153,000 | Between $81,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ERM | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Retail |
There are a few differences between a consultant in product development and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Consultant In Product Development | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between consultants in product development' and product managers' demographics:
| Consultant In Product Development | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% |
| 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% |