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The differences between senior program analysts and lead program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead program manager has an average salary of $119,480, which is higher than the $93,415 average annual salary of a senior program analyst.
The top three skills for a senior program analyst include project management, DOD and logistics. The most important skills for a lead program manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Senior Program Analyst | Lead Program Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $93,415 | $119,480 |
| Hourly rate | $44.91 | $57.44 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 132,578 | 200,688 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A senior program analyst specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the operations of different programs in a company. They coordinate with various departments to collect and analyze data, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing programs, perform extensive research and analysis, conduct risk assessments, determine the trends, and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, as a senior program analyst, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior analysts, all while promoting the company's policies and regulations.
A lead program manager is responsible for coordinating departmental projects and ensuring that the programs adhere to the business guidelines and functions to achieve long-term goals and objectives. Lead program managers strategize techniques in developing business plans and managing budget allocation across departments. They also coordinate with clients for progress updates and modify program plans as needed. A lead program manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to finalize program outputs and assist the team in resolving project issues and delays.
Senior program analysts and lead program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Analyst | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average salary | $93,415 | $119,480 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $126,000 | Between $89,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Varian Medical Systems | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior program analyst and a lead program manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Analyst | Lead Program Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior program analysts' and lead program managers' demographics:
| Senior Program Analyst | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2% | Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |