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The differences between program management specialists and program/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program/project manager has an average salary of $101,850, which is higher than the $82,591 average annual salary of a program management specialist.
The top three skills for a program management specialist include project management, DOD and powerpoint. The most important skills for a program/project manager are project management, program management, and PMP.
| Program Management Specialist | Program/Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $82,591 | $101,850 |
| Hourly rate | $39.71 | $48.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 152,144 | 243,017 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A project management specialist is responsible for overseeing different programs and projects within a company, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around identifying project needs, participating in setting goals and objectives, managing schedules and budgets, performing risk and cost assessments, and producing progress reports and presentations for the directors and other executives. Furthermore, a project management specialist may also perform research and analysis to find new business opportunities and liaise with clients to generate sales.
The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget. Program managers are responsible for the conveyance of the company goals and generally act as a customer interface that helps clients get their desired update and change of a project. Project managers, on the other hand, focus on the project's schedule, scope, and resources needed to complete it on time.
Program management specialists and program/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Management Specialist | Program/Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $82,591 | $101,850 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $122,000 | Between $74,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a program management specialist and a program/project manager in terms of educational background:
| Program Management Specialist | Program/Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between program management specialists' and program/project managers' demographics:
| Program Management Specialist | Program/Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1% | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |