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The differences between lead designers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a lead designer include sketch, user experience and architecture. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Lead Designer | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $110,001 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $52.89 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 45,423 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
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.
Lead designers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Designer | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $110,001 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $154,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead designer and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Lead Designer | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead designers' and project managers' demographics:
| Lead Designer | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 13% | 10% |