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The differences between senior leaders and senior product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior leader, becoming a senior product manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a senior product manager has an average salary of $133,868, which is higher than the $114,328 average annual salary of a senior leader.
The top three skills for a senior leader include java, project management and architecture. The most important skills for a senior product manager are product management, cloud, and product strategy.
| Senior Leader | Senior Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $114,328 | $133,868 |
| Hourly rate | $54.97 | $64.36 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 214,805 | 119,025 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
A senior leader specializes in overseeing the business operations and work progress within a particular department or office. Focusing on the workflow and the workforce, they are in charge of assessing performances and motivating staff to meet goals and stay within the allotted time and budget. They may also participate in the hiring and training of new employees, utilizing their talents and shaping them into valuable members of the workforce, all while implementing company rules and regulations.
A senior product manager oversees the workflow and workforce involved in product and service development, ensuring a high return for its investments. They are primarily responsible for assessing and providing recommendations, producing review and reference documents, and obtaining feedback from consumers and high-ranking company personnel. Furthermore, as a senior product manager, they must lead a group of product managers, motivating and supervising them in their joint effort to accomplish goals according to the company's standards and policies.
Senior leaders and senior product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Leader | Senior Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $114,328 | $133,868 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $162,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior leader and a senior product manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Leader | Senior Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior leaders' and senior product managers' demographics:
| Senior Leader | Senior Product Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.6% White, 59.0% 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 | 8% | 10% |