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The differences between product design managers and product development 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 product development manager. Additionally, a product design manager has an average salary of $133,190, which is higher than the $113,437 average annual salary of a product development manager.
The top three skills for a product design manager include product design, user research and sketch. The most important skills for a product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Product Design Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $133,190 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $64.03 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 146,576 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 product development manager spearheads the development of new products within a company. Most of the time, their responsibilities revolve around conducting marketing research and analysis to determine consumers' needs, coordinating with the product development team to come up with new ideas, proposing business plans to the executives, and creating prototypes. A product development manager must also present a cost analysis, produce progress reports, and address inquiries and concerns. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Product design managers and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Design Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $133,190 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $193,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a product design manager and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Design Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 product development managers' demographics:
| Product Design Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| 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% |