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Director of project management vs manager, program management

The differences between directors of project management and managers, program management can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of project management has an average salary of $126,958, which is higher than the $112,937 average annual salary of a manager, program management.

The top three skills for a director of project management include oversight, risk management and resource management. The most important skills for a manager, program management are project management, risk management, and process improvement.

Director of project management vs manager, program management overview

Director Of Project ManagementManager, Program Management
Yearly salary$126,958$112,937
Hourly rate$61.04$54.30
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs200,498271,873
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4747
Years of experience-8

What does a director of project management do?

Project management directors are the ones who develop and direct the strategic planning of different projects. The directors oversee the coordination of resources and personnel necessary for project completion. Typically, the directors require certification for project management. They develop a methodology for standardized project management in a balanced matrix organization. The directors should be equipped with skills in process improvement, customer service, infrastructure, portfolio management, and strategic initiatives. They should also have skills in communication, attention to detail, and leadership.

What does a manager, program management do?

A program management manager is an individual who guides project managers and oversees and coordinates an organization's projects, products, and other strategic initiatives. The day-to-day responsibilities of a program manager include planning the overall program, managing the program's budget and the main program documents, and defining the program governance. The requirements to qualify for the program manager position including possessing a good managerial, business, and problem-solving skills and possessing a bachelor's or master's degree in business, management, or a related field.

Director of project management vs manager, program management salary

Directors of project management and managers, program management have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Project ManagementManager, Program Management
Average salary$126,958$112,937
Salary rangeBetween $85,000 And $187,000Between $82,000 And $155,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaMeta
Best paying industryReal EstateTechnology

Differences between director of project management and manager, program management education

There are a few differences between a director of project management and a manager, program management in terms of educational background:

Director Of Project ManagementManager, Program Management
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaCarnegie Mellon University

Director of project management vs manager, program management demographics

Here are the differences between directors of project management' and managers, program management' demographics:

Director Of Project ManagementManager, Program Management
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 66.9% Female, 33.1%Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%11%

Differences between director of project management and manager, program management duties and responsibilities

Director of project management example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage RFP processes to procure third party products and services.
  • Manage & facilitate agile scrum masters, project managers and business analysts including providing direction, guidance and training.
  • Develop and lead divisional IP application strategy and review process to improve patent return on investment and alignment with product strategies.
  • Direct logistics and manufacturing process at Baltimore depot and revamp of product line to achieve desire mission-readiness capability.
  • Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
  • Lead scrum team through multiple development sprints for overall product improvement base on customer feedback and market research.
  • Show more

Manager, program management example responsibilities.

  • Used SQL to manage data in the regional data base.
  • Collaborate consistently with internal and client teams to manage SDLC.
  • Manage integration, configuration, and deployment of package SaaS and custom systems.
  • Champion and lead successful lean six sigma projects that result in $100K+ savings per year.
  • Manage the relationship with the vendor whose development teams are scrum orient and locate in multiple countries.
  • Lead project delivery of joint marketing system for business partners in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
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Director of project management vs manager, program management skills

Common director of project management skills
  • Oversight, 9%
  • Risk Management, 6%
  • Resource Management, 5%
  • Business Objectives, 5%
  • Healthcare, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common manager, program management skills
  • Project Management, 13%
  • Risk Management, 7%
  • Process Improvement, 4%
  • Oversight, 4%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Continuous Improvement, 4%

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