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Software development manager vs project manager

The differences between software development managers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a software development manager has an average salary of $134,747, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.

The top three skills for a software development manager include java, AWS and architecture. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Software development manager vs project manager overview

Software Development ManagerProject Manager
Yearly salary$134,747$91,578
Hourly rate$64.78$44.03
Growth rate21%8%
Number of jobs265,464167,116
Job satisfaction-4.17
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4447
Years of experience6-

What does a software development manager do?

A software development manager is an individual who manages teams of software developers that design and create software applications and web services for clients. Software development managers should delegate duties and establish development standards for the development team as well as create a budget and timeline for the project. They must meet with management to discuss how software applications can achieve business objectives. Once the software has been developed, software development managers must train technical and non-technical end-users. They must also be skilled in different programming languages such as HTML, SQL, and JavaScript.

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Software development manager vs project manager salary

Software development managers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Software Development ManagerProject Manager
Average salary$134,747$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $100,000 And $180,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaThe Citadel
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between software development manager and project manager education

There are a few differences between a software development manager and a project manager in terms of educational background:

Software Development ManagerProject Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorComputer ScienceBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Software development manager vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between software development managers' and project managers' demographics:

Software Development ManagerProject Manager
Average age4447
Gender ratioMale, 85.1% Female, 14.9%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%10%

Differences between software development manager and project manager duties and responsibilities

Software development manager example responsibilities.

  • Plan and manage release schedules, upgrades and patches, maintenance windows.
  • Justify, evaluate, hire, and manage offshore contractors to supplement staff for a large HTML form coding project.
  • Manage workflow of projects through JIRA, ensuring that all necessary reviews are perform and projects are successfully release to production.
  • Manage all phases of application design--from requirements gathering, coding and prototyping through system testing, integration and deployment.
  • Manage many infrastructure upgrade projects nationwide.
  • Manage resource allocation for Lawson ERP implementation project.
  • Show more

Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
  • Show more

Software development manager vs project manager skills

Common software development manager skills
  • Java, 17%
  • AWS, 9%
  • Architecture, 8%
  • Project Management, 4%
  • Database, 4%
  • Cloud Computing, 3%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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