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The differences between technical managers and application managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical manager, becoming an application manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an application manager has an average salary of $122,748, which is higher than the $116,619 average annual salary of a technical manager.
The top three skills for a technical manager include project management, infrastructure and architecture. The most important skills for an application manager are customer service, project management, and application development.
| Technical Manager | Application Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $116,619 | $122,748 |
| Hourly rate | $56.07 | $59.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 116,732 | 125,760 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 8 |
A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
An application manager is in charge of overseeing software applications and systems within a company, ensuring efficiency and quality. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis to identify company needs, assessing existing applications to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and implementing solutions to optimize the quality of services. They may also conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency of applications, performing corrective measures when necessary. Furthermore, as an application manager, it is essential to coordinate with the information technology staff, encouraging them to reach goals and new heights.
Technical managers and application managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Manager | Application Manager | |
| Average salary | $116,619 | $122,748 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $161,000 | Between $93,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | A.T. Kearney | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technical manager and an application manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Manager | Application Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between technical managers' and application managers' demographics:
| Technical Manager | Application Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 13.5% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 11% |