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The differences between strategic project managers and project directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project director has an average salary of $107,396, which is higher than the $105,238 average annual salary of a strategic project manager.
The top three skills for a strategic project manager include project management, strategic projects and project scope. The most important skills for a project director are project management, oversight, and customer satisfaction.
| Strategic Project Manager | Project Director | |
| Yearly salary | $105,238 | $107,396 |
| Hourly rate | $50.60 | $51.63 |
| Growth rate | 6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 199,245 | 116,968 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A project director is an individual responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided. They provide presentations to investors, business partners, and company executives to inform them about their progress and development. Project directors must have several years of experience and obtain at least a bachelor's degree in business economics or a related field to be hired.
Strategic project managers and project directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Project Manager | Project Director | |
| Average salary | $105,238 | $107,396 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $151,000 | Between $70,000 And $162,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Fried Frank |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a strategic project manager and a project director in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Project Manager | Project Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between strategic project managers' and project directors' demographics:
| Strategic Project Manager | Project Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% | Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |