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The differences between product development managers and software development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a product development manager, becoming a software development manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a software development manager has an average salary of $134,747, 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 software development manager are java, AWS, and architecture.
| Product Development Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,437 | $134,747 |
| Hourly rate | $54.54 | $64.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 166,871 | 265,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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 software development manager is an individual who manages teams of software developers that design and create software applications and web services for clients. Software development managers should delegate duties and establish development standards for the development team as well as create a budget and timeline for the project. They must meet with management to discuss how software applications can achieve business objectives. Once the software has been developed, software development managers must train technical and non-technical end-users. They must also be skilled in different programming languages such as HTML, SQL, and JavaScript.
Product development managers and software development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,437 | $134,747 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $152,000 | Between $100,000 And $180,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product development manager and a software development manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between product development managers' and software development managers' demographics:
| Product Development Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |