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The differences between software project managers and project managers & leader can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a software project manager, becoming a project manager & leader takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a software project manager has an average salary of $115,181, which is higher than the $102,092 average annual salary of a project manager & leader.
The top three skills for a software project manager include project management, scrum and development process. The most important skills for a project manager & leader are project management, infrastructure, and post implementation.
| Software Project Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $115,181 | $102,092 |
| Hourly rate | $55.38 | $49.08 |
| Growth rate | 21% | - |
| Number of jobs | 285,134 | 190,600 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A project manager & leader is responsible for monitoring the overall project management and staff operations, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of project deliverables to meet the client's requirements, and achieving the highest customer satisfaction. Project managers/leaders implement strategic procedures to minimize costs while maximizing operational productivity. They identify business opportunities by analyzing the current market trends to develop services that would meet the clients' demands and the public's interests. A project manager & leader also handles the department budget, allocating adequate resources, and maintaining an organized delegation of tasks for the employees.
Software project managers and project managers & leader have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Project Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Average salary | $115,181 | $102,092 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $156,000 | Between $74,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a software project manager and a project manager & leader in terms of educational background:
| Software Project Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software project managers' and project managers & leader' demographics:
| Software Project Manager | Project Manager & Leader | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 8% | 11% |