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The differences between senior directors, product development and development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a senior director, product development and a development manager. Additionally, a senior director, product development has an average salary of $160,980, which is higher than the $110,678 average annual salary of a development manager.
The top three skills for a senior director, product development include project management, product development and digital marketing. The most important skills for a development manager are project management, customer service, and patients.
| Senior Director, Product Development | Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $160,980 | $110,678 |
| Hourly rate | $77.39 | $53.21 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 160,867 | 111,137 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A senior director of product development spearheads and oversees the product development operations of a company. They have the responsibility to manage product development teams, set goals, establish guidelines and timelines, liaise with key external parties, coordinate managers, and address issues and concerns, resolving them efficiently. They also have the authority to come up with decisions and delegate responsibilities among teams and staff. Moreover, as a senior director, product development, it is essential to implement policies and regulations, developing new ones that support the company's needs, vision, and mission.
A development manager is responsible for assisting existing clients or potential clients of the services they need. A development manager serves as the initial point of contact for the clients to answer their inquiries and concerns before proceeding with a contract. Development managers usually arrange meetings with clients, analyze business opportunities, improve marketing initiatives to attract clients, research the industry's latest trends, create proposals, and assist in training new staff members. A development manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle staff performance and build professional relationships with clients.
Senior directors, product development and development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Director, Product Development | Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $160,980 | $110,678 |
| Salary range | Between $107,000 And $241,000 | Between $76,000 And $159,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior director, product development and a development manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Director, Product Development | Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior directors, product development' and development managers' demographics:
| Senior Director, Product Development | Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 60.5% Female, 39.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 10% |