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The differences between product managers lead and product 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 manager lead and a product director. Additionally, a product director has an average salary of $148,910, which is higher than the $138,531 average annual salary of a product manager lead.
The top three skills for a product manager lead include architecture, QA and product management. The most important skills for a product director are product management, product strategy, and project management.
| Product Manager Lead | Product Director | |
| Yearly salary | $138,531 | $148,910 |
| Hourly rate | $66.60 | $71.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 110,157 | 125,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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.
The duties of a product director depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the product development operations to ensure smooth flow and efficiency, devise strategies to improve processes, gather relevant data such as sales and customer feedback, and coordinate with different departments in developing new products and services. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage departments to meet goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its mission and vision.
Product managers lead and product directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Manager Lead | Product Director | |
| Average salary | $138,531 | $148,910 |
| Salary range | Between $99,000 And $192,000 | Between $104,000 And $212,000 |
| 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 | Internet |
There are a few differences between a product manager lead and a product director in terms of educational background:
| Product Manager Lead | Product Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product managers lead' and product directors' demographics:
| Product Manager Lead | Product Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% |
| 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% |