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The differences between director, program managers and senior project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior project manager has an average salary of $110,947, which is higher than the $107,861 average annual salary of a director, program manager.
The top three skills for a director, program manager include program management, project management and oversight. The most important skills for a senior project manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Director, Program Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $107,861 | $110,947 |
| Hourly rate | $51.86 | $53.34 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 163,036 | 183,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A director or program manager is in charge of spearheading and overseeing programs and projects in a company, ensuring it adheres to budgets and deadlines. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, manage staff and deadlines, liaise with internal and external parties, coordinate managers, and monitor the progress of all efforts. They must also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior project managers are experienced employees assigned to oversee a specific project in the organization. They manage the project from conception to execution. They are onboard the project from the ideation phase, providing valuable insights to ensure the success of the project. Senior project managers are also in charge of managing the budget, ensuring that the expected timelines are followed, adjusting strategies when needed, and guiding project team members. It is important for senior project managers to be good leaders and communicators. They should be able to balance the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the project. They should have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.
Director, program managers and senior project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director, Program Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $107,861 | $110,947 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $173,000 | Between $82,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | Roku |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a director, program manager and a senior project manager in terms of educational background:
| Director, Program Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between director, program managers' and senior project managers' demographics:
| Director, Program Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7% | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |