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The differences between software project managers and software architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a software project manager and a software architect. Additionally, a software project manager has an average salary of $115,181, which is higher than the $114,406 average annual salary of a software architect.
The top three skills for a software project manager include project management, scrum and development process. The most important skills for a software architect are java, architecture, and cloud.
| Software Project Manager | Software Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $115,181 | $114,406 |
| Hourly rate | $55.38 | $55.00 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 285,134 | 319,594 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 Software Architect develops new programs for a variety of technological devices for businesses, computer games, mobile networks, and/or operating systems. They ensure architectural integrity and consistency across the entire product and work closely with executives to explain the benefits of the software.
Software project managers and software architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Project Manager | Software Architect | |
| Average salary | $115,181 | $114,406 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $156,000 | Between $82,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Aspiration |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a software project manager and a software architect in terms of educational background:
| Software Project Manager | Software Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software project managers' and software architects' demographics:
| Software Project Manager | Software Architect | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |