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The differences between national program managers and lead program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead program manager has an average salary of $119,480, which is higher than the $95,118 average annual salary of a national program manager.
The top three skills for a national program manager include customer satisfaction, provide technical assistance and program management. The most important skills for a lead program manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| National Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $95,118 | $119,480 |
| Hourly rate | $45.73 | $57.44 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 130,857 | 200,688 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A program manager is a strategic project management professional who helps oversee and coordinate projects, products, and other strategic initiatives for an organization. Their role is to coordinate multiple projects, offer strategic guidance to company project managers, and guide project managers to ensure they meet the program objectives. They are responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of their program, and they are expected to be proactive in identifying and solving problems.
A lead program manager is responsible for coordinating departmental projects and ensuring that the programs adhere to the business guidelines and functions to achieve long-term goals and objectives. Lead program managers strategize techniques in developing business plans and managing budget allocation across departments. They also coordinate with clients for progress updates and modify program plans as needed. A lead program manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to finalize program outputs and assist the team in resolving project issues and delays.
National program managers and lead program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| National Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average salary | $95,118 | $119,480 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $131,000 | Between $89,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | - | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a national program manager and a lead program manager in terms of educational background:
| National Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between national program managers' and lead program managers' demographics:
| National Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |