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Development & program manager vs product manager

The differences between development & program managers 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 development & program manager and a product manager. Additionally, a product manager has an average salary of $111,729, which is higher than the $102,824 average annual salary of a development & program manager.

The top three skills for a development & program manager include professional development, project management and program management. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.

Development & program manager vs product manager overview

Development & Program ManagerProduct Manager
Yearly salary$102,824$111,729
Hourly rate$49.43$53.72
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs186,222125,678
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age3939
Years of experience1010

What does a development & program manager do?

The responsibilities of a development and program manager depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, they are in charge of overseeing the operations behind various projects and programs, ensuring everything is running smoothly and efficiently. They must also devise new strategies to improve workforce performance and services, identify new opportunities for profit growth, and determine the needs of clients. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team in the joint effort to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a product manager do?

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.

Development & program manager vs product manager salary

Development & program managers and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Development & Program ManagerProduct Manager
Average salary$102,824$111,729
Salary rangeBetween $76,000 And $137,000Between $81,000 And $152,000
Highest paying CityMenlo Park, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyFoundation MedicineMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyRetail

Differences between development & program manager and product manager education

There are a few differences between a development & program manager and a product manager in terms of educational background:

Development & Program ManagerProduct Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Development & program manager vs product manager demographics

Here are the differences between development & program managers' and product managers' demographics:

Development & Program ManagerProduct Manager
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 58.3% Female, 41.7%Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between development & program manager and product manager duties and responsibilities

Development & program manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage PLM data integrity report and PLM post launch report by project.
  • Manage a budget of $600,000 each year to maintain annual KPIs.
  • Develop, establish, and manage product families OEM in and out relationships.
  • Shape the strategic direction and implement CRM strategies to manage a corporate loyalty program.
  • Manage the vendor selection process among OEM candidates and manage requirements lock down across vendors.
  • Manage direct and indirect sales channels and strategic partners within the Americas for new development products.
  • Show more

Product manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead collaborative efforts within the PMO, vendors, customers, and internal stakeholders.
  • Manage developers accountable for coding, database development, UI implementation, and system architecture.
  • Manage inventory service levels / overstocks /defective inventory and supplier buy-in opportunities to maximize ROI.
  • Lead customization of the company's administrative SaaS software solution by defining features and functionality for internal/external stakeholder teams.
  • Lead weekly meetings between engineering, sales/marketing, and QA departments to facilitate communication, collaboration and resolution of product issues.
  • Handle design and specification of administration system requirements to efficiently manage, operate, and support client API configurations and sessions.
  • Show more

Development & program manager vs product manager skills

Common development & program manager skills
  • Professional Development, 22%
  • Project Management, 10%
  • Program Management, 8%
  • Business Development, 4%
  • HR, 4%
  • Program Development, 3%
Common product manager skills
  • Product Management, 11%
  • QA, 5%
  • Product Strategy, 5%
  • Project Management, 4%
  • Market Research, 4%
  • User Stories, 4%

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