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The differences between senior operations project managers and contract project 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 operations project manager, becoming a contract project manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a senior operations project manager has an average salary of $96,413, which is higher than the $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.
The top three skills for a senior operations project manager include project management, continuous improvement and project budget. The most important skills for a contract project manager are project management, project scope, and contract project.
| Senior Operations Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $96,413 | $81,263 |
| Hourly rate | $46.35 | $39.07 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 233,312 | 159,765 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
A senior operations project manager is in charge of overseeing business projects and programs, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include setting objectives, managing budgets and schedules, coordinating different teams and departments, researching new business opportunities, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing projects, and providing solutions in vulnerable areas. As a senior operations manager, it is essential to lead the efforts and serve as a mentor to junior managers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
A contract project manager is an executive professional who provides project management and business analysis to fill the needs of an organization. Contract project managers are required to monitor and inspect contract projects to maintain a high level of safety and quality traffic control in highly variable conditions. They assist contract project administration with the review of project progress reports. Contract project managers must also manage the relationship between clients and the organization while monitoring the progress of the project to ensure that it complies with the terms of the corporate contract.
Senior operations project managers and contract project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Operations Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $96,413 | $81,263 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $129,000 | Between $53,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | ORIX USA | PRO Unlimited |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior operations project manager and a contract project manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Operations Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between senior operations project managers' and contract project managers' demographics:
| Senior Operations Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |