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The differences between planning managers and contract project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a planning manager, becoming a contract project manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a planning manager has an average salary of $98,486, which is higher than the $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.
The top three skills for a planning manager include project management, customer service and strong analytical. The most important skills for a contract project manager are project management, project scope, and contract project.
| Planning Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $98,486 | $81,263 |
| Hourly rate | $47.35 | $39.07 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 137,190 | 159,765 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 8 |
Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.
A contract project manager is an executive professional who provides project management and business analysis to fill the needs of an organization. Contract project managers are required to monitor and inspect contract projects to maintain a high level of safety and quality traffic control in highly variable conditions. They assist contract project administration with the review of project progress reports. Contract project managers must also manage the relationship between clients and the organization while monitoring the progress of the project to ensure that it complies with the terms of the corporate contract.
Planning managers and contract project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $98,486 | $81,263 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $135,000 | Between $53,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | ZS | PRO Unlimited |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a planning manager and a contract project manager in terms of educational background:
| Planning Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between planning managers' and contract project managers' demographics:
| Planning Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% | Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9% |
| 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, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |