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The differences between senior engineering managers and senior project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior engineering manager has an average salary of $155,753, which is higher than the $110,947 average annual salary of a senior project manager.
The top three skills for a senior engineering manager include java, architecture and cloud. The most important skills for a senior project manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Senior Engineering Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $155,753 | $110,947 |
| Hourly rate | $74.88 | $53.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 70,918 | 183,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 48 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Senior engineering managers are the leaders who oversee and supervise a team of engineers. These executives are the ones who develop, modify, create, and test solutions to technical-related problems. They direct and coordinate the production, quality assurance, maintenance, operations, or testing in industrial plants. It is part of their job to handle the research and development of new procedures and products. They are also involved in improving the advance scientific research and manufacturing processes of the company.
Senior project managers are experienced employees assigned to oversee a specific project in the organization. They manage the project from conception to execution. They are onboard the project from the ideation phase, providing valuable insights to ensure the success of the project. Senior project managers are also in charge of managing the budget, ensuring that the expected timelines are followed, adjusting strategies when needed, and guiding project team members. It is important for senior project managers to be good leaders and communicators. They should be able to balance the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the project. They should have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.
Senior engineering managers and senior project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineering Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $155,753 | $110,947 |
| Salary range | Between $110,000 And $218,000 | Between $82,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior engineering manager and a senior project manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineering Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior engineering managers' and senior project managers' demographics:
| Senior Engineering Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 17.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |