Program director vs service program manager

The differences between program directors and service program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a program director and a service program manager. Additionally, a program director has an average salary of $80,664, which is higher than the $78,256 average annual salary of a service program manager.

The top three skills for a program director include oversight, social work and patients. The most important skills for a service program manager are project management, program management, and veterans.

Program director vs service program manager overview

	Program Director	Service Program Manager
Yearly salary	$80,664	$78,256
Hourly rate	$38.78	$37.62
Growth rate	8%	12%
Number of jobs	82,810	116,114
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	40	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a program director do?

Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.

What does a service program manager do?

Service program managers serve as coordinators for the projects or services offered by organizations. The managers oversee and organize their activities, making sure that program goals are in alignment with corporate objectives. It is their job to establish promotional materials for the programs and manage their logistics. They handle several customer insights programs and create determination and targeting of prospective subscription sales opportunities. They need to develop skills in project management, customer service, marketing skills, and strong communication skills.

Program director vs service program manager salary

Program directors and service program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Director	Service Program Manager
Average salary	$80,664	$78,256
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $129,000	Between $50,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Georgia	New Jersey
Best paying company	Mayo Clinic	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between program director and service program manager education

There are a few differences between a program director and a service program manager in terms of educational background:

	Program Director	Service Program Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Program director vs service program manager demographics

Here are the differences between program directors' and service program managers' demographics:

	Program Director	Service Program Manager
Average age	40	45
Gender ratio	Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	14%	14%

Differences between program director and service program manager duties and responsibilities

Program director example responsibilities.

Manage personnel performing SAS programming, technical document preparation and quality assurance.
Manage program budgets and supervise staff to ensure that immunization and registry activities are successfully implement.
Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Manage day-to-day oversight and management involving planning, programming, execution, distribution, and analysis for assign organizations budgets.
Implement client ADL, ISP, and behavior plans in a group home.
Organize schedule for swim lessons and kids camp.

Service program manager example responsibilities.

Review SLA requirements, conduct pre-contract and/or on-boarding process review, and manage recruitment/hiring of PM/SME staff for multiple HRO towers.
Manage logistics and support multiple events and programs simultaneously.
Initiate and manage a volunteer corps which reduce payroll significantly.
Manage program coordinators processing development of customer supply art files and instruction, reducing production errors.
Lead the introduction and upgrade of wireless infrastructure at remote locations to ensure adherence with internal and international wireless standards.
Develop and maintain an active social media presence on facebook and youtube.

Program director vs service program manager skills

Common program director skills

Oversight, 9%
Social Work, 6%
Patients, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Mental Health, 5%
Program Management, 5%

Common service program manager skills

Project Management, 10%
Program Management, 8%
Veterans, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Oversight, 5%
Patients, 4%

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Program Director vs Service Program Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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