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The differences between product support managers and product directors 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 director takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product director has an average salary of $148,910, 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 director are product management, product strategy, and project management.
| Product Support Manager | Product Director | |
| Yearly salary | $96,155 | $148,910 |
| Hourly rate | $46.23 | $71.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 147,410 | 125,200 |
| 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.
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 support managers and product directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Manager | Product Director | |
| Average salary | $96,155 | $148,910 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $134,000 | Between $104,000 And $212,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Internet |
There are a few differences between a product support manager and a product director in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Manager | Product Director | |
| 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 directors' demographics:
| Product Support Manager | Product Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% |
| 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% |