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The differences between creative leads 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 creative lead and a product manager. Additionally, a product manager has an average salary of $111,729, 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 product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Creative Lead | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $93,742 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $45.07 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,384 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 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.
Creative leads and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Lead | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $93,742 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $169,000 | Between $81,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a creative lead and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Creative Lead | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between creative leads' and product managers' demographics:
| Creative Lead | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | 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% |