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The differences between solutions architects and product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a solutions architect has an average salary of $116,327, which is higher than the $111,729 average annual salary of a product manager.
The top three skills for a solutions architect include cloud, java and AWS. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Solutions Architect | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $116,327 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $55.93 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 107,754 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | 10 |
A solutions architect specializes in creating and implementing software systems that improve business operations and resolve network issues. They are primarily responsible for conducting research and analysis to assess the business's needs, develop specific designs for the company, provide solutions should there be any system issues, and keep company officials informed with all changes and updates. Furthermore, a solutions architect must lead and encourage development teams, stay up to date with the newest trends to continue innovations within the systems, and implement its policies and guidelines.
A product manager is responsible for ensuring product development, providing the best marketing strategies, and effectively handling the sales and marketing team. Product managers' duties include monitoring the market trends and conditions, identifying business opportunities and plan initiatives, and collaborating the product launch process with the appropriate departments. A product manager is also responsible for generating ideas on improving product features, determining timetables and reasonable pricing, and analyzing product sales. A product manager must have excellent strategic and decision-making skills to contribute to its growth and profitability.
Solutions architects and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solutions Architect | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $116,327 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $154,000 | Between $81,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a solutions architect and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Solutions Architect | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between solutions architects' and product managers' demographics:
| Solutions Architect | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |