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The differences between senior research managers and research leaders 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 leader. Additionally, a research leader has an average salary of $107,345, 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 leader are data collection, data analysis, and market research.
| Senior Research Manager | Research Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $104,701 | $107,345 |
| Hourly rate | $50.34 | $51.61 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 50,561 | 77,051 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 Leaders are academicians who oversee a group of researchers conducting a study. They are usually well-known researchers in their field of study or area of interest. They manage the group throughout the whole research process. They may orient them at the start of the engagement to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Research Leaders direct the group in identifying the resources needed, finding these resources, and eventually managing them. They also guide the team in conducting the research properly by providing strategic direction, sharing techniques, and helping them analyze the gathered data. With their experience in the field, Research Leaders usually provide frameworks that the team may work within.
Senior research managers and research leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Manager | Research Leader | |
| Average salary | $104,701 | $107,345 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $164,000 | Between $64,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Macerich | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior research manager and a research leader in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Manager | Research Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Marketing | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior research managers' and research leaders' demographics:
| Senior Research Manager | Research Leader | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |