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The differences between product development managers and directors of product development 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 development manager and a director of product development. Additionally, a director of product development has an average salary of $140,507, which is higher than the $113,437 average annual salary of a product development manager.
The top three skills for a product development manager include product development, project management and lifecycle management. The most important skills for a director of product development are product development, project management, and product management.
| Product Development Manager | Director Of Product Development | |
| Yearly salary | $113,437 | $140,507 |
| Hourly rate | $54.54 | $67.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 166,871 | 175,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
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.
A Director of Product Development supervises and implements product development policies, initiatives, and objectives. They conduct market research to determine consumer needs and identify competitors.
Product development managers and directors of product development have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Manager | Director Of Product Development | |
| Average salary | $113,437 | $140,507 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $152,000 | Between $100,000 And $196,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a product development manager and a director of product development in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Manager | Director Of Product Development | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product development managers' and directors of product development' demographics:
| Product Development Manager | Director Of Product Development | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% |
| 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% |