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The differences between software product managers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a software product manager has an average salary of $110,785, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a software product manager include product management, software products and software development. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Software Product Manager | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $110,785 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $53.26 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 126,167 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 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.
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 product managers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Product Manager | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $110,785 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $155,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software product manager and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Software Product Manager | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between software product managers' and project managers' demographics:
| Software Product Manager | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |