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The differences between contracts managers and commercial managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a contracts manager, becoming a commercial manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a commercial manager has an average salary of $100,167, which is higher than the $72,691 average annual salary of a contracts manager.
The top three skills for a contracts manager include contract management, contract administration and contract terms. The most important skills for a commercial manager are project management, customer service, and business development.
| Contracts Manager | Commercial Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $72,691 | $100,167 |
| Hourly rate | $34.95 | $48.16 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 13,218 | 104,252 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
A contract manager is responsible for finalizing contract agreements between the company and its clients, revising documents, creating procurement proposals, and managing breach of contracts immediately. Contract managers respond to clients' inquiries and concerns about the contract's terms, conditions, and adjustment requests. They should be highly knowledgeable with legal terms and legislation regulations, ensuring that documents align with their objectives. The contract manager should also stay updated with the latest trends to meet contract demands, identify more business opportunities to boost revenues, and achieve profitability goals.
A commercial manager is in charge of devising strategies for optimal procedures. Their responsibilities typically revolve around liaising with clients to determine their needs, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, performing research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and developing new business plans for profit growth and efficient workflow. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Contracts managers and commercial managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracts Manager | Commercial Manager | |
| Average salary | $72,691 | $100,167 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $116,000 | Between $70,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a contracts manager and a commercial manager in terms of educational background:
| Contracts Manager | Commercial Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between contracts managers' and commercial managers' demographics:
| Contracts Manager | Commercial Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.0% Female, 46.0% | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |