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The differences between directors, special projects and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director, special projects has an average salary of $129,916, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a director, special projects include project management, website content and financial statements. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Director, Special Projects | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $129,916 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $62.46 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 45,103 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The primary responsibility of a director of special projects is to ensure the successful conclusion of construction-related projects. Special project directors lead, organize, and perform corporate projects outside their duties. They utilize project management, business process management, and change management disciplines for timely and cost-effective initiatives delivery. It is part of their responsibilities to collaborate with business leaders and entrepreneurs to perform corporate programs and initiatives. They also manage process enhancements and various special programs.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Directors, special projects and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director, Special Projects | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $129,916 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $185,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a director, special projects and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Director, Special Projects | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between directors, special projects' and project managers' demographics:
| Director, Special Projects | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |