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The differences between product line directors and associate product managers 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 line director and an associate product manager. Additionally, a product line director has an average salary of $138,939, which is higher than the $89,963 average annual salary of an associate product manager.
The top three skills for a product line director include project management, service line and oversight. The most important skills for an associate product manager are product management, project management, and user stories.
| Product Line Director | Associate Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $138,939 | $89,963 |
| Hourly rate | $66.80 | $43.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 155,656 | 107,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
Product line director positions will require good skills in project management, product development, and business development. Those who choose this career path will be called on to maintain a portfolio of all the company products and product lines--specifically, be responsible for creating, tracking, and monitoring all existing products with the company's portfolio.
An associate product manager is someone who assists the product development teams in the development of new product features. The duties of an associate include formulation of product strategies, collection of quantitative product data, and interpretation of consumer feedback. The requirements to qualify for the position include a bachelor's degree in computer science, marketing, business management, or a related field, the ability to maintain strong customer relations, and excellent communication skills.
Product line directors and associate product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Line Director | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $138,939 | $89,963 |
| Salary range | Between $94,000 And $204,000 | Between $65,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a product line director and an associate product manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Line Director | Associate Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product line directors' and associate product managers' demographics:
| Product Line Director | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0% |
| 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% |