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The differences between research and development project managers and product development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a research and development project manager, becoming a product development manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a product development manager has an average salary of $113,437, which is higher than the $98,808 average annual salary of a research and development project manager.
The top three skills for a research and development project manager include R, project management and product development. The most important skills for a product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Research And Development Project Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $98,808 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $47.50 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 159,437 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 10 |
It is the responsibility of a research and development manager to research, plan, and implement new protocols and programs into their organization. Research and development managers supervise research and the development of new knowledge-based products. They create research programs that incorporate existing developments for product improvement. To become a research and development manager, one needs research experience, skills in research and development projects, and work experience in the industry.
A product development manager spearheads the development of new products within a company. Most of the time, their responsibilities revolve around conducting marketing research and analysis to determine consumers' needs, coordinating with the product development team to come up with new ideas, proposing business plans to the executives, and creating prototypes. A product development manager must also present a cost analysis, produce progress reports, and address inquiries and concerns. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Research and development project managers and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research And Development Project Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $98,808 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $144,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a research and development project manager and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Research And Development Project Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research and development project managers' and product development managers' demographics:
| Research And Development Project Manager | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.5% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |