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The differences between product design 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 product design manager and a brand manager. Additionally, a product design manager has an average salary of $133,190, which is higher than the $97,789 average annual salary of a brand manager.
The top three skills for a product design manager include product design, user research and sketch. The most important skills for a brand manager are brand management, digital marketing, and customer service.
| Product Design Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $133,190 | $97,789 |
| Hourly rate | $64.03 | $47.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 146,576 | 127,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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.
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.
Product design managers and brand managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Design Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Average salary | $133,190 | $97,789 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $193,000 | Between $72,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a product design manager and a brand manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Design Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 brand managers' demographics:
| Product Design Manager | Brand Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | 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% |