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The differences between product development specialists and product development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a product development specialist, becoming a product development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product development manager has an average salary of $113,437, which is higher than the $70,820 average annual salary of a product development specialist.
The top three skills for a product development specialist include product development, project management and R. The most important skills for a product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Product Development Specialist | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $70,820 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,487 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
A product development specialist's role is to facilitate the development of efficient and high-quality products in a company. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to create business plans, devising strategies to optimize procedures, overseeing the workflow and the performance of the workforce, and establishing guidelines as needed. Furthermore, as a product development specialist, it is essential to coordinate and maintain an active communication line with the rest of the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and goals.
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.
Product development specialists and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Specialist | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $70,820 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $117,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a product development specialist and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Specialist | Product Development Manager | |
| 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 specialists' and product development managers' demographics:
| Product Development Specialist | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.7% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |