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The differences between solutions managers and application managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a solutions manager and an application manager. Additionally, an application manager has an average salary of $122,748, which is higher than the $122,023 average annual salary of a solutions manager.
The top three skills for a solutions manager include healthcare, cloud and project management. The most important skills for an application manager are customer service, project management, and application development.
| Solutions Manager | Application Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $122,023 | $122,748 |
| Hourly rate | $58.66 | $59.01 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 142,636 | 125,760 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A solutions manager oversees the planning and execution of a business project or program. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to discuss their needs and preferences, coordinating with various departments to gather and analyze data, identifying weak areas, and recommending solutions through new processes and policies for optimal service and performance. They may also delegate tasks, assess the workforce, and produce progress reports and presentations. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
An application manager is in charge of overseeing software applications and systems within a company, ensuring efficiency and quality. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis to identify company needs, assessing existing applications to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and implementing solutions to optimize the quality of services. They may also conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency of applications, performing corrective measures when necessary. Furthermore, as an application manager, it is essential to coordinate with the information technology staff, encouraging them to reach goals and new heights.
Solutions managers and application managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solutions Manager | Application Manager | |
| Average salary | $122,023 | $122,748 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $161,000 | Between $93,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a solutions manager and an application manager in terms of educational background:
| Solutions Manager | Application Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between solutions managers' and application managers' demographics:
| Solutions Manager | Application Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 13.5% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |