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The differences between creative leads and brand 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 creative lead and a brand manager. Additionally, a brand manager has an average salary of $97,789, which is higher than the $93,742 average annual salary of a creative lead.
The top three skills for a creative lead include sketch, project management and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a brand manager are brand management, digital marketing, and customer service.
| Creative Lead | Brand Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $93,742 | $97,789 |
| Hourly rate | $45.07 | $47.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,384 | 127,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A creative lead is responsible for leading a team of creative staff in conceptualizing designs according to project requirements and client specifications. Creative leads must have excellent technical and critical-thinking skills for utilizing various software tools and applications to generate designs and adjust initial outlines as needed. They also assist the creative staff with the documentation and submission of layouts that meet quality standards and budget limitations. A creative lead works closely with the creative director to establish creative solutions that would attract the audience and enhance the brand's image on market platforms.
A brand manager is an individual responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products. They usually work under the supervision of marketing managers or chief marketing officers (CMOs) to implement and execute their marketing initiatives. Brand managers also provide an analysis of sales forecasts and create reports on product sales.
Creative leads and brand managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Lead | Brand Manager | |
| Average salary | $93,742 | $97,789 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $169,000 | Between $72,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a creative lead and a brand manager in terms of educational background:
| Creative Lead | Brand Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between creative leads' and brand managers' demographics:
| Creative Lead | Brand Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% |
| 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% |