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The differences between strategic planners and product managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a strategic planner and a product manager. Additionally, a product manager has an average salary of $111,729, which is higher than the $88,718 average annual salary of a strategic planner.
The top three skills for a strategic planner include project management, DOD and logistics. The most important skills for a product manager are product management, QA, and product strategy.
| Strategic Planner | Product Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $88,718 | $111,729 |
| Hourly rate | $42.65 | $53.72 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 24,228 | 125,678 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
Strategic planners are professionals who participate in the planning of business strategy for medium or large corporations as well as assess their operational and strategic performance. These planners are required to analyze financial and budget reports so that they can make strategic recommendations based on the financial health of the company. Together with the market researchers, these planners must conduct market research so that they can identify threats and opportunities. Strategic planners must also educate their senior executives in making effective decisions by constructing forecasts and analytical models.
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.
Strategic planners and product managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Planner | Product Manager | |
| Average salary | $88,718 | $111,729 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $81,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a strategic planner and a product manager in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Planner | Product Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between strategic planners' and product managers' demographics:
| Strategic Planner | Product Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 10% |