Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior technical program managers and project managers & leader can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a senior technical program manager, becoming a project manager & leader takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior technical program manager has an average salary of $137,188, which is higher than the $102,092 average annual salary of a project manager & leader.
The top three skills for a senior technical program manager include technical program, program management and project management. The most important skills for a project manager & leader are project management, infrastructure, and post implementation.
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $137,188 | $102,092 |
| Hourly rate | $65.96 | $49.08 |
| Growth rate | 16% | - |
| Number of jobs | 252,894 | 190,600 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A senior technical program manager is responsible for handling the overall development of technical project processes from the initial conceptualization to the completion. Senior technical program managers lead the development team, implementing strategic procedures to maintain the efficiency and accuracy of the output, as well as developing quality control techniques to spot inconsistencies and system failures. They also monitor the current technology trends, identify cost-reduction resources, and research on technical opportunities that would bring more revenues and increase the company's profitability.
A project manager & leader is responsible for monitoring the overall project management and staff operations, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of project deliverables to meet the client's requirements, and achieving the highest customer satisfaction. Project managers/leaders implement strategic procedures to minimize costs while maximizing operational productivity. They identify business opportunities by analyzing the current market trends to develop services that would meet the clients' demands and the public's interests. A project manager & leader also handles the department budget, allocating adequate resources, and maintaining an organized delegation of tasks for the employees.
Senior technical program managers and project managers & leader have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Average salary | $137,188 | $102,092 |
| Salary range | Between $102,000 And $184,000 | Between $74,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior technical program manager and a project manager & leader in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior technical program managers' and project managers & leader' demographics:
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.7% Female, 25.3% | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 18.7% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |