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The differences between senior research managers and senior directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior research manager, becoming a senior director takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a senior director has an average salary of $152,047, 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 senior director are healthcare, analytics, and patients.
| Senior Research Manager | Senior Director | |
| Yearly salary | $104,701 | $152,047 |
| Hourly rate | $50.34 | $73.10 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 50,561 | 131,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
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.
Senior directors are the top management who manage the overall corporate structure of a brand. These executives take responsibility for the planning, operations, and profitability of the company. They direct and control all the functions of businesses. Their jobs cover the advertising, marketing, sales, and promotions of products and services. They are the people behind the tactical and strategic management of every asset of the enterprise through different programs.
Senior research managers and senior directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Manager | Senior Director | |
| Average salary | $104,701 | $152,047 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $164,000 | Between $105,000 And $219,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Macerich | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior research manager and a senior director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Manager | Senior Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Marketing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between senior research managers' and senior directors' demographics:
| Senior Research Manager | Senior Director | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |