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The differences between senior project directors 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 $99,266 average annual salary of a senior project director.
The top three skills for a senior project director include project management, business operations and product development. The most important skills for a senior project manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Senior Project Director | Senior Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $99,266 | $110,947 |
| Hourly rate | $47.72 | $53.34 |
| Growth rate | - | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 86,779 | 183,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A senior project director spearheads and oversees projects in a company, aiming for smooth workflow and significant results. Their responsibilities typically include setting goals, establishing guidelines and timelines, managing staff, coordinating managers, liaising with external business partners, and monitoring the progress of all operations, resolving issues should any arise. They must also produce progress reports and present them to the executives. Moreover, as a senior project director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while promoting the company's policies and regulations.
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 project directors and senior project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Project Director | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $99,266 | $110,947 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $146,000 | Between $82,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior project director and a senior project manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Project Director | Senior Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior project directors' and senior project managers' demographics:
| Senior Project Director | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 10% | 10% |