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The differences between software product managers and product line managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a software product manager and a product line manager. Additionally, a software product manager has an average salary of $110,785, which is higher than the $97,237 average annual salary of a product line manager.
The top three skills for a software product manager include product management, software products and software development. The most important skills for a product line manager are product management, customer service, and PLM.
| Software Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $110,785 | $97,237 |
| Hourly rate | $53.26 | $46.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 126,167 | 158,908 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
Software product managers are individuals who lead and handle products from their inception to their phase-out. The managers establish customer value and carry out measurable benefits for business. They translate data from the discovery phase into product requirements. Understanding technology, expertise in the field, technical skills are necessary to become successful in this job. They analyze competition in the market and the factors that make it valuable.
A product line manager is an individual who provides product and market intelligence by increasing the market share of a company. Product line managers must create competitive analysis and interpret market trends so that they can provide recommendations and guidance to the company. They are required to identify target markets and should come up with strategies for market penetration. Product line managers must also monitor the creation and development of new products as well as to measure the success of the products in the market.
Software product managers and product line managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Average salary | $110,785 | $97,237 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $155,000 | Between $52,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ON Semiconductor |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a software product manager and a product line manager in terms of educational background:
| Software Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between software product managers' and product line managers' demographics:
| Software Product Manager | Product Line Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |