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The differences between senior product engineering managers and product leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a senior product engineering manager, becoming a product lead takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a senior product engineering manager has an average salary of $140,924, which is higher than the $118,828 average annual salary of a product lead.
The top three skills for a senior product engineering manager include control systems, product management and java. The most important skills for a product lead are product management, project management, and architecture.
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $140,924 | $118,828 |
| Hourly rate | $67.75 | $57.13 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 148,558 | 95,557 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 10 |
The primary tasks of a senior product engineering manager include the design, prototype, authentication, and implementation of new products. Senior product engineering managers the capital plan and budget of the organization. They lead the efforts of technicians and engineers or other team members of the organization to ensure the successful completion of engineering projects. It is expected for them to possess skills and knowledge in project management, product development, application development, and process improvement.
A product lead is responsible for monitoring the development of new products and services of an organization, starting from brand conceptualization to official market release and distribution. Product leads identify effective product management by conducting data analysis and evaluating market statistics of customer demands. They coordinate with the clients on their specifications and requirements, including the budget limit and timely deliverables. A product lead manages the brand promotion on media platforms, creating content that adheres to the target audience.
Senior product engineering managers and product leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Lead | |
| Average salary | $140,924 | $118,828 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $205,000 | Between $86,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a senior product engineering manager and a product lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior product engineering managers' and product leads' demographics:
| Senior Product Engineering Manager | Product Lead | |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 18.9% White, 66.3% 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 | 9% | 10% |