Program administration manager vs project manager

The differences between program administration managers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $70,823 average annual salary of a program administration manager.

The top three skills for a program administration manager include powerpoint, human resources and data management. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Program administration manager vs project manager overview

	Program Administration Manager	Project Manager
Yearly salary	$70,823	$91,578
Hourly rate	$34.05	$44.03
Growth rate	7%	8%
Number of jobs	128,379	167,116
Job satisfaction	-	4.17
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

What does a program administration manager do?

A program administration manager is in charge of overseeing the daily operations of programs and projects of a company, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically includes setting goals and guidelines, establishing schedules and budgets, managing staff, preparing and processing documentation, liaising with internal and external parties, and developing strategies to optimize program operations. Moreover, a program administration manager must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Program administration manager vs project manager salary

Program administration managers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Administration Manager	Project Manager
Average salary	$70,823	$91,578
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $99,000	Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Amazon	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between program administration manager and project manager education

There are a few differences between a program administration manager and a project manager in terms of educational background:

	Program Administration Manager	Project Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Program administration manager vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between program administration managers' and project managers' demographics:

	Program Administration Manager	Project Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4%	Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between program administration manager and project manager duties and responsibilities

Program administration manager example responsibilities.

Manage implementation of referrals, coordinate assignment of new physicians and create support network for transitioning patients during clinic closure.
Prepare and finalize presentation materials including PowerPoint slides.
Administer the repository and distribution of relevant project materials via SharePoint and facilitate the distribution of information among relevant audiences.
Carry out public relation activities for the corporation, including marketing of physical rehabilitation services to area hospitals and referral sources.
Deliver major competitive wins through work on RFP responses.
Communicate with local and national fraternity leadership to facilitate cooperation and mutual understanding of chapter activities.

Project manager example responsibilities.

Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.

Program administration manager vs project manager skills

Common program administration manager skills

PowerPoint, 12%
Human Resources, 9%
Data Management, 6%
Home Health, 6%
Medicare, 6%
Financial Management, 6%

Common project manager skills

Project Management, 23%
Project Scope, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Infrastructure, 5%
Status Reports, 4%
Risk Management, 3%

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Program Administration Manager
Program Administration Manager vs Project Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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