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The differences between senior technical program managers and release managers 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 release manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior technical program manager has an average salary of $137,188, which is higher than the $109,886 average annual salary of a release manager.
The top three skills for a senior technical program manager include technical program, program management and project management. The most important skills for a release manager are release management, project management, and software development.
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Release Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $137,188 | $109,886 |
| Hourly rate | $65.96 | $52.83 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 252,894 | 38,547 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 release manager is responsible for supervising project releases across various platforms by closely coordinating with technology and project teams, ensuring the stability and efficiency of outputs according to clients' specifications and business needs. Release managers handle the delivery management procedures from conceptualization to production, maintaining budget requirements and adherence to timetables. They also perform quality check processes to identify possible defects and inconsistencies with the deliverables and adjusting initial project plans as needed.
Senior technical program managers and release managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Release Manager | |
| Average salary | $137,188 | $109,886 |
| Salary range | Between $102,000 And $184,000 | Between $81,000 And $147,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior technical program manager and a release manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Release Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior technical program managers' and release managers' demographics:
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Release Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.7% Female, 25.3% | Male, 61.4% Female, 38.6% |
| 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% |