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The differences between product design managers and product directors 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 director. Additionally, a product director has an average salary of $148,910, which is higher than the $133,190 average annual salary of a product design manager.
The top three skills for a product design manager include product design, user research and sketch. The most important skills for a product director are product management, product strategy, and project management.
| Product Design Manager | Product Director | |
| Yearly salary | $133,190 | $148,910 |
| Hourly rate | $64.03 | $71.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 146,576 | 125,200 |
| 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.
The duties of a product director depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the product development operations to ensure smooth flow and efficiency, devise strategies to improve processes, gather relevant data such as sales and customer feedback, and coordinate with different departments in developing new products and services. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage departments to meet goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its mission and vision.
Product design managers and product directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Design Manager | Product Director | |
| Average salary | $133,190 | $148,910 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $193,000 | Between $104,000 And $212,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Internet |
There are a few differences between a product design manager and a product director in terms of educational background:
| Product Design Manager | Product Director | |
| 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 directors' demographics:
| Product Design Manager | Product Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% |
| 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% |