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The differences between launch managers and associate product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a launch manager and an associate product manager. Additionally, a launch manager has an average salary of $111,309, which is higher than the $89,963 average annual salary of an associate product manager.
The top three skills for a launch manager include project management, lifecycle management and APQP. The most important skills for an associate product manager are product management, project management, and user stories.
| Launch Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $111,309 | $89,963 |
| Hourly rate | $53.51 | $43.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 109,170 | 107,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A launch manager is primarily in charge of overseeing and spearheading the efforts in introducing new products and services to the market. Their responsibilities include setting objectives, performing research and analysis to establish marketing plans, coordinating with different teams in finding and developing marketing opportunities, managing timelines and budgets, supervising promotional procedures, and conducting inspections to ensure the quality and readiness of products and services for launch. Furthermore, as a launch manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
An associate product manager is someone who assists the product development teams in the development of new product features. The duties of an associate include formulation of product strategies, collection of quantitative product data, and interpretation of consumer feedback. The requirements to qualify for the position include a bachelor's degree in computer science, marketing, business management, or a related field, the ability to maintain strong customer relations, and excellent communication skills.
Launch managers and associate product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Launch Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $111,309 | $89,963 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $171,000 | Between $65,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Annapolis, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a launch manager and an associate product manager in terms of educational background:
| Launch Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between launch managers' and associate product managers' demographics:
| Launch Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% | Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 10% |