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Strategic project manager vs program manager

The differences between strategic project managers and program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a strategic project manager has an average salary of $105,238, which is higher than the $96,084 average annual salary of a program manager.

The top three skills for a strategic project manager include project management, strategic projects and project scope. The most important skills for a program manager are project management, program management, and oversight.

Strategic project manager vs program manager overview

Strategic Project ManagerProgram Manager
Yearly salary$105,238$96,084
Hourly rate$50.60$46.19
Growth rate6%12%
Number of jobs199,245197,556
Job satisfaction55
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

What does a strategic project manager do?

A strategic project manager is responsible for developing efficient project management methods to achieve the highest customer satisfaction and gain more revenue resources for the business. Strategic project managers analyze the current market trends, perform data and statistical analysis, and generate opportunities to close more business partnerships. They also coordinate with the marketing and sales team to identify effective marketing strategies to increase the brand's image in various market platforms and enhance sales performance. A strategic project manager handles company accounts and regularly connects with the client for project updates.

What does a program manager do?

A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result. A program manager should regularly connect with the different teams of every project under the program to keep track of the processes and procedures for the timely delivery of the product.

Strategic project manager vs program manager salary

Strategic project managers and program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Strategic Project ManagerProgram Manager
Average salary$105,238$96,084
Salary rangeBetween $73,000 And $151,000Between $65,000 And $141,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between strategic project manager and program manager education

There are a few differences between a strategic project manager and a program manager in terms of educational background:

Strategic Project ManagerProgram Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Strategic project manager vs program manager demographics

Here are the differences between strategic project managers' and program managers' demographics:

Strategic Project ManagerProgram Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 55.9% Female, 44.1%Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between strategic project manager and program manager duties and responsibilities

Strategic project manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage HVAC, electrical and plumbing.
  • Manage 8 proposal developers responding to approximately 300 RFP's per year.
  • Manage rollouts of CRM enhancements using effective implementation planning, change mgmt and training.
  • Help VZB's competitive advantage by adopting technologies and methods that can reduce costs, increase ROI, and increase uptime.
  • Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
  • Create processes to ensure the integrity of information disseminate to portfolio and risk management systems.
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Program manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead managed services provider engagement of onshore and offshore interactive development and QA for pharmaceutical marketing department.
  • Lead multiple team workshops and initiate RFP proposals.
  • Manage the work process across projects as per PMI standards.
  • Develop, manage, and oversee EMBA study abroad in-residencies to Asia.
  • Manage content updates for all salesforce marketing materials, print and digital.
  • Manage the service level expectations with client agencies by monitoring and assessment establish KPIs, agreements and contracts.
  • Show more

Strategic project manager vs program manager skills

Common strategic project manager skills
  • Project Management, 25%
  • Strategic Projects, 7%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Portfolio, 5%
  • Strong Project Management, 4%
  • Process Improvement, 3%
Common program manager skills
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Program Management, 11%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Infrastructure, 3%
  • Excellent Organizational, 3%

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