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The differences between product development 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 development manager and a product director. Additionally, a product director has an average salary of $148,910, 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 product director are product management, product strategy, and project management.
| Product Development Manager | Product Director | |
| Yearly salary | $113,437 | $148,910 |
| Hourly rate | $54.54 | $71.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 166,871 | 125,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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.
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 development managers and product directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Manager | Product Director | |
| Average salary | $113,437 | $148,910 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $152,000 | Between $104,000 And $212,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Internet |
There are a few differences between a product development manager and a product director in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Manager | Product Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product development managers' and product directors' demographics:
| Product Development Manager | Product Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% | 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% |