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Digital program manager vs category manager

The differences between digital program managers and category 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 digital program manager and a category manager. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $100,853 average annual salary of a digital program manager.

The top three skills for a digital program manager include digital transformation, digital marketing and project management. The most important skills for a category manager are strategic sourcing, category strategy, and supplier performance.

Digital program manager vs category manager overview

Digital Program ManagerCategory Manager
Yearly salary$100,853$102,035
Hourly rate$48.49$49.06
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs144,134108,424
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age3939
Years of experience1010

What does a digital program manager do?

Digital program managers are executive professionals who are responsible for managing the digital products of an organization across a variety of different functions and disciplines. These managers are required to partner with product owners so that they can understand the owner's objectives and develop digital project portfolios that help them meet those objectives. They must facilitate the planning and management of digital products to ensure that they are delivered on-time and within budget. Digital program managers must also prepare project status reports for executive management to review.

What does a category manager do?

Category managers are usually employed in the retail industry. They are primarily responsible for the sales enhancement of a specific group of products. The managers are involved in pricing, marketing, inventory, and vendor management. Their daily tasks include meeting with suppliers to talk about the plans, conducting orientation to the market research company, and updating category reports. Qualified applicants must have a degree in business administration or a related field as well as relevant job experience in a related job.

Digital program manager vs category manager salary

Digital program managers and category managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Digital Program ManagerCategory Manager
Average salary$100,853$102,035
Salary rangeBetween $71,000 And $142,000Between $74,000 And $138,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNevada
Best paying companyMetaMcKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between digital program manager and category manager education

There are a few differences between a digital program manager and a category manager in terms of educational background:

Digital Program ManagerCategory Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Digital program manager vs category manager demographics

Here are the differences between digital program managers' and category managers' demographics:

Digital Program ManagerCategory Manager
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 62.2% Female, 37.8%Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%
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 digital program manager and category manager duties and responsibilities

Digital program manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage schedule milestone dates in company database; supervise full-service vendor in updating Smartsheet schedule.
  • Interface with key internal and client stakeholders to define and lead digital and CRM initiatives.
  • Own entire worldwide marketing budget, prioritize spends and ensure best ROI (units & mix).
  • Provide level of effort estimations and resource requirements in partnership with BA, UX, development and QA project resources.
  • Generate complete SEO/analytic reports identifying specific aggregates, require metrics and investigate reporting discrepancies with JIRA as required.
  • Task with the ongoing improvement and optimization of these e-commerce capabilities.

Category manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead team to manage predominantly seasonal fashion apparel by reacting to trends with appropriate buys and proactive exit strategies.
  • Manage and create purchase plans and OTB's.
  • Design and manage all BTL plans for the brands.
  • Manage multiple sources of data to mine for business voids and opportunities at both macro and micro levels.
  • Deliver profit and sales forecasts, manage merchandising budget, and used IRI data to produce optimal product mix.
  • Lead a high performance jewelry merchandising team in a digital commerce environment through television, e-commerce, and social media.
  • Show more

Digital program manager vs category manager skills

Common digital program manager skills
  • Digital Transformation, 19%
  • Digital Marketing, 15%
  • Project Management, 13%
  • Program Management, 9%
  • Digital Content, 3%
  • KPIs, 3%
Common category manager skills
  • Strategic Sourcing, 8%
  • Category Strategy, 8%
  • Supplier Performance, 5%
  • Supplier Relationships, 4%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Cost Savings, 4%

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