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The differences between senior technical program managers and technical 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 technical manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior technical program manager has an average salary of $137,188, which is higher than the $116,619 average annual salary of a technical 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 technical manager are project management, infrastructure, and architecture.
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $137,188 | $116,619 |
| Hourly rate | $65.96 | $56.07 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 252,894 | 116,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
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 technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
Senior technical program managers and technical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average salary | $137,188 | $116,619 |
| Salary range | Between $102,000 And $184,000 | Between $84,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | A.T. Kearney |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior technical program manager and a technical manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between senior technical program managers' and technical managers' demographics:
| Senior Technical Program Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.7% Female, 25.3% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 14% |