Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principal product managers and brand managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a principal product manager and a brand manager. Additionally, a principal product manager has an average salary of $145,943, which is higher than the $97,789 average annual salary of a brand manager.
The top three skills for a principal product manager include product management, QA and product development. The most important skills for a brand manager are brand management, digital marketing, and customer service.
| Principal Product Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $145,943 | $97,789 |
| Hourly rate | $70.16 | $47.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 143,985 | 127,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
The duties of a principal product manager depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the organization's product roadmap, devising strategies for optimal operations and services, and managing production and marketing communications. They must also coordinate with different research scientists and engineers to develop systems and networks that will increase profitability and assist in meeting consumers' needs. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A brand manager is an individual responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products. They usually work under the supervision of marketing managers or chief marketing officers (CMOs) to implement and execute their marketing initiatives. Brand managers also provide an analysis of sales forecasts and create reports on product sales.
Principal product managers and brand managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Product Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Average salary | $145,943 | $97,789 |
| Salary range | Between $106,000 And $199,000 | Between $72,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Brex | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal product manager and a brand manager in terms of educational background:
| Principal Product Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between principal product managers' and brand managers' demographics:
| Principal Product Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1% | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |