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The differences between release managers and project management leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a release manager and a project management lead. Additionally, a release manager has an average salary of $109,886, which is higher than the $85,117 average annual salary of a project management lead.
The top three skills for a release manager include release management, project management and software development. The most important skills for a project management lead are project management, customer service, and portfolio.
| Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $109,886 | $85,117 |
| Hourly rate | $52.83 | $40.92 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 38,547 | 158,441 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A release manager is responsible for supervising project releases across various platforms by closely coordinating with technology and project teams, ensuring the stability and efficiency of outputs according to clients' specifications and business needs. Release managers handle the delivery management procedures from conceptualization to production, maintaining budget requirements and adherence to timetables. They also perform quality check processes to identify possible defects and inconsistencies with the deliverables and adjusting initial project plans as needed.
A project management lead is in charge of overseeing all processes involved in the planning and delivery of projects in an organization. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating departments and personnel involved in every project to ensure accuracy and timeliness, managing budget and expenditures, producing progress reports and presentations, assessing risks, and delivering optimal quality results. Furthermore, as a management lead, it is crucial to lead and encourage team members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Release managers and project management leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Average salary | $109,886 | $85,117 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $147,000 | Between $53,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Energy |
There are a few differences between a release manager and a project management lead in terms of educational background:
| Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between release managers' and project management leads' demographics:
| Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.4% Female, 38.6% | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |