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The differences between senior research managers and research directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior research manager and a research director. Additionally, a research director has an average salary of $108,875, which is higher than the $104,701 average annual salary of a senior research manager.
The top three skills for a senior research manager include project management, data collection and powerpoint. The most important skills for a research director are research projects, data collection, and healthcare.
| Senior Research Manager | Research Director | |
| Yearly salary | $104,701 | $108,875 |
| Hourly rate | $50.34 | $52.34 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 50,561 | 51,298 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior research manager is an executive professional who manages the integration of internal and external information sources to deliver exceptional insights to clients and contribute to the development of a company's strategic research framework. Senior research managers are required to demonstrate extensive knowledge of products and services so that they can identify and propose potential opportunities with existing and new clients. They must supervise a team to ensure flawless execution of all market research projects from design to delivery. Senior research managers must also mentor staff to build client understanding across all disciplines.
Research Directors oversee the research initiatives of the company. They are usually deployed in the academe, research facilities, or companies with research and development departments. They set research goals aligned with the company's vision. They also ensure that all research activities are significant and would have an impact. They usually aim to complete research work that would contribute to the advancement of their field. Research Directors provide strategic direction on how to complete their research goals. They guide their team of researchers to work more efficiently and more productively. They also lead the team in networking activities.
Senior research managers and research directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Manager | Research Director | |
| Average salary | $104,701 | $108,875 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $164,000 | Between $68,000 And $171,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Macerich | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior research manager and a research director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Manager | Research Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Marketing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior research managers' and research directors' demographics:
| Senior Research Manager | Research Director | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 12.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |