Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead technicians and technical project 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 lead technician, becoming a technical project manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a technical project manager has an average salary of $108,205, which is higher than the $90,615 average annual salary of a lead technician.
The top three skills for a lead technician include java, architecture and digital transformation. The most important skills for a technical project manager are project management, technical project, and scrum.
| Lead Technician | Technical Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $90,615 | $108,205 |
| Hourly rate | $43.56 | $52.02 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 250,590 | 209,820 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Lead technicians are technicians who oversee the technical needs of a specific project or department. They are usually tenured employees, and their familiarity with the company's technical and technological processes, software, and hardware would be a great advantage in succeeding in their role. Lead technicians are responsible for installing, updating, and maintaining various software and hardware components in the office. They often manage a group of technicians, and they ensure that the group they manage is properly trained and well-versed on the processes of the company. Lead technicians are expected to have strong analytical skills and decision-making skills.
The role of technical project managers is to oversee the planning and management of projects within a company. They are considered as the lead subject matter expert in terms of technology concerns. They have varied duties that include ensuring the completion of projects within an established budget and time frame, hiring and training support members, and improving resource management and project planning. They also communicate with stakeholders and collaborate with other departments, all to attain a common goal.
Lead technicians and technical project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Technician | Technical Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $90,615 | $108,205 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $81,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a lead technician and a technical project manager in terms of educational background:
| Lead Technician | Technical Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lead technicians' and technical project managers' demographics:
| Lead Technician | Technical Project Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.1% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |