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The differences between research and development program managers and engineering directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a research and development program manager and an engineering director. Additionally, an engineering director has an average salary of $162,252, which is higher than the $116,594 average annual salary of a research and development program manager.
The top three skills for a research and development program manager include R, project management and program management. The most important skills for an engineering director are java, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Research And Development Program Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Yearly salary | $116,594 | $162,252 |
| Hourly rate | $56.05 | $78.01 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 152,460 | 63,868 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Research and development program managers are responsible for research, planning, and implementing new programs and protocols into their company or organization and overseeing the development of new products. Their duties and responsibilities also include assessing the scope of the project and ensuring the project is going according to budget. They also develop and implement research and development procedures and techniques.
An engineering director or director of engineering is an individual who manages a team of engineering managers and coordinates all the engineering activities within the organization. Engineering directors work closely with the organization's executives to develop new strategies to reduce unnecessary costs and time to complete their projects. They must understand and interpret complex sets of data such as profits, losses, or value of liabilities to identify problems and come up with solutions. Engineering directors must also ensure that safety protocols are implemented in the workforce.
Research and development program managers and engineering directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research And Development Program Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Average salary | $116,594 | $162,252 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $157,000 | Between $109,000 And $239,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Zoox | Brookfield Properties |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research and development program manager and an engineering director in terms of educational background:
| Research And Development Program Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between research and development program managers' and engineering directors' demographics:
| Research And Development Program Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.6% Female, 25.4% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.9% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 13.1% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |