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The differences between project managers 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 $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a project manager include project management, project scope and customer service. The most important skills for a program/project manager are project management, program management, and PMP.
| Project Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $91,578 | $101,850 |
| Hourly rate | $44.03 | $48.97 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 167,116 | 243,017 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.17 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
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.
Project managers and program/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $91,578 | $101,850 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $129,000 | Between $74,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a project manager and a program/project manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project managers' and program/project managers' demographics:
| Project Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | 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% |