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The differences between software release managers and project management leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a software release manager and a project management lead. Additionally, a software release manager has an average salary of $123,105, which is higher than the $85,117 average annual salary of a project management lead.
The top three skills for a software release manager include software releases, release management and software development. The most important skills for a project management lead are project management, customer service, and portfolio.
| Software Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $123,105 | $85,117 |
| Hourly rate | $59.19 | $40.92 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 24,211 | 158,441 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Software release managers and project management leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Average salary | $123,105 | $85,117 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $163,000 | Between $53,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a software release manager and a project management lead in terms of educational background:
| Software Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software release managers' and project management leads' demographics:
| Software Release Manager | Project Management Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6% | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 11% | 11% |