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The differences between product design managers and associate product 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 product design manager and an associate product manager. Additionally, a product design manager has an average salary of $133,190, which is higher than the $89,963 average annual salary of an associate product manager.
The top three skills for a product design manager include product design, user research and sketch. The most important skills for an associate product manager are product management, project management, and user stories.
| Product Design Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $133,190 | $89,963 |
| Hourly rate | $64.03 | $43.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 146,576 | 107,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A product design manager typically works with engineers and specialists in the joint effort to develop high-quality standard products. As a product design manager, they are responsible for managing product design teams, understanding and identifying a project's needs, performing research and analysis, setting objectives and guidelines, liaising with external parties, and presenting prototypes for client approval. Moreover, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach product goals while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
An associate product manager is someone who assists the product development teams in the development of new product features. The duties of an associate include formulation of product strategies, collection of quantitative product data, and interpretation of consumer feedback. The requirements to qualify for the position include a bachelor's degree in computer science, marketing, business management, or a related field, the ability to maintain strong customer relations, and excellent communication skills.
Product design managers and associate product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Design Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $133,190 | $89,963 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $193,000 | Between $65,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a product design manager and an associate product manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Design Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product design managers' and associate product managers' demographics:
| Product Design Manager | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0% |
| 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% |