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The differences between product leads and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a product lead has an average salary of $118,828, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a product lead include product management, project management and architecture. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Product Lead | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $118,828 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $57.13 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 95,557 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 10 | - |
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.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Product leads and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Lead | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $118,828 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $163,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product lead and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Lead | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between product leads' and project managers' demographics:
| Product Lead | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |