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The differences between process leaders and process improvement 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 process leader, becoming a process improvement manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a process improvement manager has an average salary of $105,454, which is higher than the $88,400 average annual salary of a process leader.
The top three skills for a process leader include customer service, cleanliness and sales floor. The most important skills for a process improvement manager are sigma, lean six sigma, and project management.
| Process Leader | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $88,400 | $105,454 |
| Hourly rate | $42.50 | $50.70 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 71,467 | 177,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A process leader is responsible for overseeing the operational processes of an organization to support business functions and client requirements. Process leaders evaluate the efficiency of workflow procedures, identifying inconsistencies, and revising processing techniques as needed to improve deliverables and maximize productivity. They also train new employees, share best practices, and address their difficulties by organizing a specific learning approach. A process leader must have excellent communication and organizational skills, such as writing progress reports and identifying opportunities that would drive revenue resources for the business.
Process Improvement Managers oversee the operational processes of the company. These processes are usually related to production, sales, marketing, human resources, or finance. Process Improvement Managers are in charge of creating policies and procedures to guide the company's different departments. They analyze related data and craft recommendations to improve the procedures. They ensure that their recommendations lead to higher efficiency. Process Improvement Managers also ensure that these new processes are implemented properly and yield results.
Process leaders and process improvement managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Leader | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Average salary | $88,400 | $105,454 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $132,000 | Between $80,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process leader and a process improvement manager in terms of educational background:
| Process Leader | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between process leaders' and process improvement managers' demographics:
| Process Leader | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.8% Female, 41.2% | Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |