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The differences between senior program officers and senior project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior project manager has an average salary of $110,947, which is higher than the $100,469 average annual salary of a senior program officer.
The top three skills for a senior program officer include data analysis, global health and HR. The most important skills for a senior project manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $100,469 | $110,947 |
| Hourly rate | $48.30 | $53.34 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 117,953 | 183,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
Senior program officers are professionals who are responsible for supervising program development while working with grant recipients to ensure effective use of the organization's resources. These officers must coordinate with the grants administrator or office manager about initial screening and prioritizing of new proposals. They must represent the organization at conferences and community meetings to develop and maintain relationships with existing and prospective partners and stakeholders. Senior program officers must also provide training and coaching that supports the professional development of program associates.
Senior project managers are experienced employees assigned to oversee a specific project in the organization. They manage the project from conception to execution. They are onboard the project from the ideation phase, providing valuable insights to ensure the success of the project. Senior project managers are also in charge of managing the budget, ensuring that the expected timelines are followed, adjusting strategies when needed, and guiding project team members. It is important for senior project managers to be good leaders and communicators. They should be able to balance the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the project. They should have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.
Senior program officers and senior project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $100,469 | $110,947 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $146,000 | Between $82,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior program officer and a senior project manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior program officers' and senior project managers' demographics:
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 10% |