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The differences between technical directors and technical account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a technical director and a technical account manager. Additionally, a technical director has an average salary of $131,719, which is higher than the $100,010 average annual salary of a technical account manager.
The top three skills for a technical director include business development, architecture and technical expertise. The most important skills for a technical account manager are cloud, database, and project management.
| Technical Director | Technical Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $131,719 | $100,010 |
| Hourly rate | $63.33 | $48.08 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 77,550 | 154,495 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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.
A technical account manager is primarily responsible for providing technical support to clients through calls and correspondence, securing sales and ensuring customer satisfaction. Aside from assisting clients, a technical account manager may conduct an assessment to determine the needs of a client, perform follow up calls, offer upgrades and add-ons, answer inquiries, troubleshoot, and even provide extensive and detailed instructions to customers on using their products or services. Furthermore, a technical account manager must monitor the delivery of services and report progress to managers or supervisors.
Technical directors and technical account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Director | Technical Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $131,719 | $100,010 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $200,000 | Between $73,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Nike | Pure Storage |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical director and a technical account manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Director | Technical Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical directors' and technical account managers' demographics:
| Technical Director | Technical Account Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.4% Female, 17.6% | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% |
| 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, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 14% |