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The differences between software development managers and software project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a software development manager, becoming a software project manager takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a software development manager has an average salary of $134,747, which is higher than the $115,181 average annual salary of a software project manager.
The top three skills for a software development manager include java, AWS and architecture. The most important skills for a software project manager are project management, scrum, and development process.
| Software Development Manager | Software Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $134,747 | $115,181 |
| Hourly rate | $64.78 | $55.38 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 265,464 | 285,134 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A software project manager is responsible for leading software projects and development from its conceptualization to final deliverables. Software project managers coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, including their budget limitations and timetables. They discuss the project outline with software developers and design engineers and gather all the ideas for the design plan. A software project manager reviews every successful milestone completion, revise project plans as needed, and ensure the stability and efficiency of software applications by running quality control tests.
Software development managers and software project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Development Manager | Software Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $134,747 | $115,181 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $180,000 | Between $84,000 And $156,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a software development manager and a software project manager in terms of educational background:
| Software Development Manager | Software Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software development managers' and software project managers' demographics:
| Software Development Manager | Software Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |