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The differences between special projects managers and program/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program/project manager has an average salary of $101,850, which is higher than the $90,221 average annual salary of a special projects manager.
The top three skills for a special projects manager include project management, logistics and financial statements. The most important skills for a program/project manager are project management, program management, and PMP.
| Special Projects Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $90,221 | $101,850 |
| Hourly rate | $43.38 | $48.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 114,925 | 243,017 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Special Projects Department is a vital part of the research and development branch in a company to design and create new products and services for customers to use. The special projects manager's responsibility is to request and allocate funds, personnel, and a specialist to the project. This person is also obligated to monitor and generate reports on the project's status and update the company management on the special project's daily status.
The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget. Program managers are responsible for the conveyance of the company goals and generally act as a customer interface that helps clients get their desired update and change of a project. Project managers, on the other hand, focus on the project's schedule, scope, and resources needed to complete it on time.
Special projects managers and program/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Projects Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $90,221 | $101,850 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $122,000 | Between $74,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a special projects manager and a program/project manager in terms of educational background:
| Special Projects Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between special projects managers' and program/project managers' demographics:
| Special Projects Manager | Program/Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |