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The differences between solutions managers and product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a solutions manager, becoming a product manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a solutions manager has an average salary of $122,023, which is higher than the $111,729 average annual salary of a product manager.
The top three skills for a solutions manager include healthcare, cloud and project management. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Solutions Manager | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $122,023 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $58.66 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 142,636 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 10 |
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.
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 managers and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solutions Manager | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $122,023 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $161,000 | Between $81,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a solutions manager and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Solutions Manager | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between solutions managers' and product managers' demographics:
| Solutions Manager | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% |
| 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, 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% |