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The differences between product managers lead 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 manager lead and an associate product manager. Additionally, a product manager lead has an average salary of $138,531, which is higher than the $89,963 average annual salary of an associate product manager.
The top three skills for a product manager lead include architecture, QA and product management. The most important skills for an associate product manager are product management, project management, and user stories.
| Product Manager Lead | Associate Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $138,531 | $89,963 |
| Hourly rate | $66.60 | $43.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 110,157 | 107,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A product manager lead is responsible for supervising the development and strategic launch of the company's products from conceptualization to final market release. Product managers work closely with the marketing and sales team to identify efficient promotional techniques to enhance the brand's image across the market and develop outstanding features according to trends and public demands. They also handle media commitments and press releases and maximize product vision. A product manager lead directs the budgeting and sales forecasting, ensuring that the process adheres to budget limitations and deadlines.
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 managers lead and associate product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Manager Lead | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $138,531 | $89,963 |
| Salary range | Between $99,000 And $192,000 | Between $65,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a product manager lead and an associate product manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Manager Lead | Associate Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product managers lead' and associate product managers' demographics:
| Product Manager Lead | Associate Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | 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% |