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The differences between product support managers and product development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a product support manager, becoming a product development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product development manager has an average salary of $113,437, which is higher than the $96,155 average annual salary of a product support manager.
The top three skills for a product support manager include customer service, customer support and customer inquiries. The most important skills for a product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Product Support Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $96,155 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $46.23 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 147,410 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 10 |
Product support managers are management professionals who are responsible for managing the activities related to product support for an organization. These managers must lead a team of professionals to meet all the objectives of the organization by ensuring product quality control and rectifying any potential issues. They are required to attend and participate in business meetings so that they can suggest innovative support strategies to increase the recognition of their products. Product support managers must also assist in resolving customer complaints by facilitating the communications between their clients and the organization.
A product development manager spearheads the development of new products within a company. Most of the time, their responsibilities revolve around conducting marketing research and analysis to determine consumers' needs, coordinating with the product development team to come up with new ideas, proposing business plans to the executives, and creating prototypes. A product development manager must also present a cost analysis, produce progress reports, and address inquiries and concerns. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Product support managers and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $96,155 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $134,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a product support manager and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product support managers' and product development managers' demographics:
| Product Support Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 11% | 10% |