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The differences between product development specialists and product leads 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 lead takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product lead has an average salary of $118,828, 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 lead are product management, project management, and architecture.
| Product Development Specialist | Product Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $70,820 | $118,828 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $57.13 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,487 | 95,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 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 specialists and product leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Specialist | Product Lead | |
| Average salary | $70,820 | $118,828 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $117,000 | Between $86,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a product development specialist and a product lead in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Specialist | 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 specialists' and product leads' demographics:
| Product Development Specialist | Product Lead | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| 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% |