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The differences between senior product managers and principal product 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 product manager and a principal product manager. Additionally, a principal product manager has an average salary of $145,943, which is higher than the $133,868 average annual salary of a senior product manager.
The top three skills for a senior product manager include product management, cloud and product strategy. The most important skills for a principal product manager are product management, QA, and product development.
| Senior Product Manager | Principal Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $133,868 | $145,943 |
| Hourly rate | $64.36 | $70.16 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 119,025 | 143,985 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
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.
The duties of a principal product manager depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the organization's product roadmap, devising strategies for optimal operations and services, and managing production and marketing communications. They must also coordinate with different research scientists and engineers to develop systems and networks that will increase profitability and assist in meeting consumers' needs. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior product managers and principal product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Product Manager | Principal Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $133,868 | $145,943 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $182,000 | Between $106,000 And $199,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Roku | Brex |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior product manager and a principal product manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Product Manager | Principal Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior product managers' and principal product managers' demographics:
| Senior Product Manager | Principal Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% | Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1% |
| 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% |