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The differences between development managers and solutions architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a solutions architect has an average salary of $116,327, which is higher than the $110,678 average annual salary of a development manager.
The top three skills for a development manager include project management, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a solutions architect are cloud, java, and AWS.
| Development Manager | Solutions Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $110,678 | $116,327 |
| Hourly rate | $53.21 | $55.93 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 111,137 | 107,754 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | - |
A development manager is responsible for assisting existing clients or potential clients of the services they need. A development manager serves as the initial point of contact for the clients to answer their inquiries and concerns before proceeding with a contract. Development managers usually arrange meetings with clients, analyze business opportunities, improve marketing initiatives to attract clients, research the industry's latest trends, create proposals, and assist in training new staff members. A development manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle staff performance and build professional relationships with clients.
A solutions architect specializes in creating and implementing software systems that improve business operations and resolve network issues. They are primarily responsible for conducting research and analysis to assess the business's needs, develop specific designs for the company, provide solutions should there be any system issues, and keep company officials informed with all changes and updates. Furthermore, a solutions architect must lead and encourage development teams, stay up to date with the newest trends to continue innovations within the systems, and implement its policies and guidelines.
Development managers and solutions architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Development Manager | Solutions Architect | |
| Average salary | $110,678 | $116,327 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $159,000 | Between $87,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a development manager and a solutions architect in terms of educational background:
| Development Manager | Solutions Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between development managers' and solutions architects' demographics:
| Development Manager | Solutions Architect | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.5% Female, 39.5% | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |