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The differences between design managers and product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a design manager, becoming a product manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product manager has an average salary of $111,729, which is higher than the $102,637 average annual salary of a design manager.
The top three skills for a design manager include sketch, project management and visualization. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Design Manager | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,637 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $49.34 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 61,273 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 10 |
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
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.
Design managers and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manager | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,637 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $150,000 | 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 design manager and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Design Manager | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between design managers' and product managers' demographics:
| Design Manager | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% 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 | 9% | 10% |