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The differences between product quality managers and product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a product quality manager, becoming a product manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product quality manager has an average salary of $117,932, which is higher than the $111,729 average annual salary of a product manager.
The top three skills for a product quality manager include continuous improvement, data analysis and project management. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Product Quality Manager | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $117,932 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $56.70 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 145,282 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
A Product Quality Manager's job is to inspect the quality of products to ensure that they are built with compliance and meet customer expectations. They are thorough and observant of every detail of the product. Product Quality Manager's are responsible for understanding the customer's needs to develop effective quality control processes. They also devise and review the specs of the processes or product, set requirements for intermediate products for monitor compliances. They also ensure adherence to health and safety guidelines.
A product manager is responsible for ensuring product development, providing the best marketing strategies, and effectively handling the sales and marketing team. Product managers' duties include monitoring the market trends and conditions, identifying business opportunities and plan initiatives, and collaborating the product launch process with the appropriate departments. A product manager is also responsible for generating ideas on improving product features, determining timetables and reasonable pricing, and analyzing product sales. A product manager must have excellent strategic and decision-making skills to contribute to its growth and profitability.
Product quality managers and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Quality Manager | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $117,932 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $169,000 | Between $81,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a product quality manager and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Quality Manager | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product quality managers' and product managers' demographics:
| Product Quality Manager | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4% | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 8% | 10% |