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The differences between program managers and lead program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead program manager has an average salary of $119,480, which is higher than the $96,084 average annual salary of a program manager.
The top three skills for a program manager include project management, program management and oversight. The most important skills for a lead program manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $96,084 | $119,480 |
| Hourly rate | $46.19 | $57.44 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 197,556 | 200,688 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result. A program manager should regularly connect with the different teams of every project under the program to keep track of the processes and procedures for the timely delivery of the product.
A lead program manager is responsible for coordinating departmental projects and ensuring that the programs adhere to the business guidelines and functions to achieve long-term goals and objectives. Lead program managers strategize techniques in developing business plans and managing budget allocation across departments. They also coordinate with clients for progress updates and modify program plans as needed. A lead program manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to finalize program outputs and assist the team in resolving project issues and delays.
Program managers and lead program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average salary | $96,084 | $119,480 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $141,000 | Between $89,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a program manager and a lead program manager in terms of educational background:
| Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between program managers' and lead program managers' demographics:
| Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |