Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between technical directors and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a technical director has an average salary of $131,719, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a technical director include business development, architecture and technical expertise. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Technical Director | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $131,719 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $63.33 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 77,550 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A technical director is responsible for monitoring the technical efficiency of operations. Technical directors inspect audio and visual equipment, lighting systems for productions, and other technical processes. They ensure that all the equipment is in proper working condition, identify and troubleshoot defects, and deliver high-quality project results. They also monitor expenses, forecast sales reports, and create cost estimates for the systems needed for the project completion, following the clients' specifications to gain satisfaction. A technical director must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to manage operational processes with maximum accuracy.
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.
Technical directors and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Director | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $131,719 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $200,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Nike | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical director and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Director | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical directors' and project managers' demographics:
| Technical Director | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.4% Female, 17.6% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.4% 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 | 14% | 10% |