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The differences between senior directors, product development and product 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 product development manager. Additionally, a senior director, product development has an average salary of $160,980, which is higher than the $113,437 average annual salary of a product 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 product development manager are product development, project management, and lifecycle management.
| Senior Director, Product Development | Product Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $160,980 | $113,437 |
| Hourly rate | $77.39 | $54.54 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 160,867 | 166,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 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.
Senior directors, product development and product development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Director, Product Development | Product Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $160,980 | $113,437 |
| Salary range | Between $107,000 And $241,000 | Between $84,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Media | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior director, product development and a product development manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Director, Product Development | Product Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior directors, product development' and product development managers' demographics:
| Senior Director, Product Development | Product Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| 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% |