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The differences between solutions managers and technical 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 technical manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a solutions manager has an average salary of $122,023, which is higher than the $116,619 average annual salary of a technical manager.
The top three skills for a solutions manager include healthcare, cloud and project management. The most important skills for a technical manager are project management, infrastructure, and architecture.
| Solutions Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $122,023 | $116,619 |
| Hourly rate | $58.66 | $56.07 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 142,636 | 116,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
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 technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
Solutions managers and technical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solutions Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average salary | $122,023 | $116,619 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $161,000 | Between $84,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | A.T. Kearney |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a solutions manager and a technical manager in terms of educational background:
| Solutions Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between solutions managers' and technical managers' demographics:
| Solutions Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 14% |