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The differences between product line directors and planning directors 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 a planning director. Additionally, a product line director has an average salary of $138,939, which is higher than the $131,978 average annual salary of a planning director.
The top three skills for a product line director include project management, service line and oversight. The most important skills for a planning director are project management, financial analysis, and business planning.
| Product Line Director | Planning Director | |
| Yearly salary | $138,939 | $131,978 |
| Hourly rate | $66.80 | $63.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 155,656 | 51,861 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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.
Planning Directors are members of the executive team or the top management of a company. They oversee the company's plans and the strategies involved in reaching company goals. They manage the resources of the company by reviewing the budget and by overseeing human resources activities. They ensure that the company works toward its goals and that the company follows through with its plans. That being said, Planning Directors do not necessarily police the company's actions, especially if it deviates from the original plans. Instead, they steer the company towards the fulfillment of such plans. If the plan is no longer viable, they should be flexible enough to pursue new plans to achieve their goals still.
Product line directors and planning directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Line Director | Planning Director | |
| Average salary | $138,939 | $131,978 |
| Salary range | Between $94,000 And $204,000 | Between $90,000 And $192,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | Exelixis |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between a product line director and a planning director in terms of educational background:
| Product Line Director | Planning Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product line directors' and planning directors' demographics:
| Product Line Director | Planning Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% |
| 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% |