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The differences between product management directors and product leads 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 management director and a product lead. Additionally, a product management director has an average salary of $156,724, which is higher than the $118,828 average annual salary of a product lead.
The top three skills for a product management director include product management, product strategy and cloud. The most important skills for a product lead are product management, project management, and architecture.
| Product Management Director | Product Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $156,724 | $118,828 |
| Hourly rate | $75.35 | $57.13 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 170,460 | 95,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A Product Management Director is responsible for a business product planning as well as execution throughout the life cycle of the business. They create the product strategy and requirements, develop and execute tactical plans, and maintain product and market knowledge.
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 management directors and product leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Management Director | Product Lead | |
| Average salary | $156,724 | $118,828 |
| Salary range | Between $112,000 And $219,000 | Between $86,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a product management director and a product lead in terms of educational background:
| Product Management Director | Product Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product management directors' and product leads' demographics:
| Product Management Director | Product Lead | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| 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% |