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The differences between hardware managers and software product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hardware manager, becoming a software product manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a hardware manager has an average salary of $140,910, which is higher than the $110,785 average annual salary of a software product manager.
The top three skills for a hardware manager include RF, customer service and product knowledge. The most important skills for a software product manager are product management, software products, and software development.
| Hardware Manager | Software Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $140,910 | $110,785 |
| Hourly rate | $67.75 | $53.26 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 4,200 | 126,167 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 10 |
Hardware managers and software product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Manager | Software Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $140,910 | $110,785 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $208,000 | Between $78,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a hardware manager and a software product manager in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Manager | Software Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between hardware managers' and software product managers' demographics:
| Hardware Manager | Software Product Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 23.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 4% | 10% |