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The differences between key account managers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a key account manager has an average salary of $102,315, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a key account manager include account management, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Key Account Manager | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,315 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $49.19 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 160,992 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | - |
A key account manager is primarily in charge of handling key clients that produce the most profit for a company or business, ensuring that they remain with them. They are mainly responsible for understanding their clients' needs and long-term goals, ensuring that the key clients get to receive all the necessary services and products in time, and promptly address and resolve any issues and concerns. Furthermore, a key account manager may prepare reports and proposals to team members, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
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.
Key account managers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Key Account Manager | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,315 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $138,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | California |
| Best paying company | Quidel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a key account manager and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Key Account Manager | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between key account managers' and project managers' demographics:
| Key Account Manager | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 7% | 10% |