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The differences between management associates and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $83,566 average annual salary of a management associate.
The top three skills for a management associate include customer service, portfolio and risk management. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Management Associate | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $83,566 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $40.18 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 84,397 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A management associate is responsible for assisting the management operations, supporting administrative and clerical tasks, and coordinating with other departments for project support to meet the organization's objectives and profitability goals. Management associates often respond to clients' inquiries and concerns on behalf of the executives, documenting their needs, and immediately escalating high-level complaints to appropriate personnel. They also meet with suppliers and other third-party vendors, negotiating contracts for business needs. A management associate must have excellent communication, be organized, and have time-management skills to perform duties in a fast-paced environment.
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.
Management associates and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Management Associate | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $83,566 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $136,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westport, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a management associate and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Management Associate | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between management associates' and project managers' demographics:
| Management Associate | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 10% | 10% |