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The differences between software product managers and software development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a software product manager, becoming a software development manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a software development manager has an average salary of $134,747, which is higher than the $110,785 average annual salary of a software product manager.
The top three skills for a software product manager include product management, software products and software development. The most important skills for a software development manager are java, AWS, and architecture.
| Software Product Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $110,785 | $134,747 |
| Hourly rate | $53.26 | $64.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 126,167 | 265,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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 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.
Software product managers and software development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Product Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $110,785 | $134,747 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $155,000 | Between $100,000 And $180,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software product manager and a software development manager in terms of educational background:
| Software Product Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software product managers' and software development managers' demographics:
| Software Product Manager | Software Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |