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The differences between professional development managers and business development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a professional development manager, becoming a business development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a professional development manager has an average salary of $101,737, which is higher than the $100,769 average annual salary of a business development manager.
The top three skills for a professional development manager include professional growth, project management and educational programs. The most important skills for a business development manager are customer service, CRM, and healthcare.
| Professional Development Manager | Business Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $101,737 | $100,769 |
| Hourly rate | $48.91 | $48.45 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 114,553 | 215,309 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 10 |
A professional development manager is typically responsible for designing and developing career and professional growth programs in companies. Their responsibilities usually include planning interviews and assessments to identify the employees' needs, establishing guidelines and timelines, coordinating staff, liaising with internal and external parties, and collaborating with other experts. They must also develop training programs to enhance employees' soft and hard skills. Moreover, as a professional development manager, they must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A business development manager's duties include identifying business opportunities, developing effective models and strategies to improve business performance, searching for potential clients to generate income and attract partnerships. A business development manager must have extensive knowledge of the market trends and adjust strategies as needed to meet the needs of the client. Excellent communication, decision-making, critical thinking, and leadership skills are just some of the key factors that business development managers should possess to communicate and negotiate with the clients.
Professional development managers and business development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Development Manager | Business Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $101,737 | $100,769 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $156,000 | Between $67,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | Daly City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Shearman & Sterling | Shearman & Sterling |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a professional development manager and a business development manager in terms of educational background:
| Professional Development Manager | Business Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between professional development managers' and business development managers' demographics:
| Professional Development Manager | Business Development Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 4.1% White, 62.8% 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 | 18% | 10% |