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The differences between directors of new product development and product leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a director of new product development and a product lead. Additionally, a director of new product development has an average salary of $139,162, which is higher than the $118,828 average annual salary of a product lead.
The top three skills for a director of new product development include product development, R and business development. The most important skills for a product lead are product management, project management, and architecture.
| Director Of New Product Development | Product Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $139,162 | $118,828 |
| Hourly rate | $66.90 | $57.13 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 185,369 | 95,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A director of new product development spearheads and oversees a company's product development operations, from planning to production. They primarily take the lead in conducting research and analyses, coordinating engineers and other experts, evaluating product development plans and guidelines, and liaising with internal and external parties. They also have the authority to approve projects, make significant decisions, negotiate contracts, select concepts, and monitor all procedures, implementing solutions and strategies to optimize operations. Moreover, a director of new product development empowers employees while enforcing company standards and policies.
A product lead is responsible for monitoring the development of new products and services of an organization, starting from brand conceptualization to official market release and distribution. Product leads identify effective product management by conducting data analysis and evaluating market statistics of customer demands. They coordinate with the clients on their specifications and requirements, including the budget limit and timely deliverables. A product lead manages the brand promotion on media platforms, creating content that adheres to the target audience.
Directors of new product development and product leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of New Product Development | Product Lead | |
| Average salary | $139,162 | $118,828 |
| Salary range | Between $94,000 And $204,000 | Between $86,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | DoorDash | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Media | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a director of new product development and a product lead in terms of educational background:
| Director Of New Product Development | Product Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between directors of new product development' and product leads' demographics:
| Director Of New Product Development | Product Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| 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% |