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The differences between professional development managers and senior 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 senior development manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a senior development manager has an average salary of $141,487, which is higher than the $101,737 average annual salary of a professional 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 senior development manager are java, software development, and cloud.
| Professional Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $101,737 | $141,487 |
| Hourly rate | $48.91 | $68.02 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 114,553 | 148,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
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 senior development manager oversees the daily operations of a company's product development team. They mostly have administrative duties, such as spearheading projects and programs, streamlining project requirements, establishing objectives and timelines, setting budgets and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among teams, and monitoring their progress, coordinating every team's efforts to ensure an effective workflow. Being a senior development manager takes years of experience, which they utilize to lead and guide teams in a joint effort to reach project goals and deliver profitable products.
Professional development managers and senior development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $101,737 | $141,487 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $156,000 | Between $106,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | Daly City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Shearman & Sterling | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a professional development manager and a senior development manager in terms of educational background:
| Professional Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between professional development managers' and senior development managers' demographics:
| Professional Development Manager | Senior Development Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 13.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 11% |