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The differences between subject matter experts and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a subject matter expert has an average salary of $103,749, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a subject matter expert include SME, project management and DOD. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Subject Matter Expert | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $103,749 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $49.88 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 58,235 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A subject matter expert is someone who has special knowledge and expertise about a specific process or service, providing advice to other team members or directly assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns. Subject matter experts coordinate on planning strategic procedures to improve the work processes and ensure customer satisfaction. They are also active in participating in learning programs and training sessions to share their knowledge and best practices for their specialization. Subject matter experts identify potential business opportunities to generate more revenues for the business and achieve its profitability goals.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Subject matter experts and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Subject Matter Expert | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $103,749 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $146,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a subject matter expert and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Subject Matter Expert | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between subject matter experts' and project managers' demographics:
| Subject Matter Expert | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.1% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |