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The differences between product development managers and product leads 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 lead. Additionally, a product lead has an average salary of $118,828, 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 lead are product management, project management, and architecture.
| Product Development Manager | Product Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $113,437 | $118,828 |
| Hourly rate | $54.54 | $57.13 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 166,871 | 95,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 product lead is responsible for monitoring the development of new products and services of an organization, starting from brand conceptualization to official market release and distribution. Product leads identify effective product management by conducting data analysis and evaluating market statistics of customer demands. They coordinate with the clients on their specifications and requirements, including the budget limit and timely deliverables. A product lead manages the brand promotion on media platforms, creating content that adheres to the target audience.
Product development managers and product leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Manager | Product Lead | |
| Average salary | $113,437 | $118,828 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $152,000 | Between $86,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a product development manager and a product lead in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Manager | Product Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product development managers' and product leads' demographics:
| Product Development Manager | Product Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| 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% |