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The differences between technical project lead managers and contract project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a technical project lead manager, becoming a contract project manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a technical project lead manager has an average salary of $103,303, which is higher than the $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.
The top three skills for a technical project lead manager include project management, technical project and infrastructure. The most important skills for a contract project manager are project management, project scope, and contract project.
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $103,303 | $81,263 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $39.07 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 199,371 | 159,765 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
The technical project lead manager's job involves project planning and management by ensuring compliance with specifications, time frame, and budget. He/she is responsible for developing and implementing training guidelines for all technical personnel by managing, organizing, and motivating various teams within the company to complete specific projects on budget, on time, and within scope. Skills required for this position include excellent verbal and written communication related to technical and non-technical terms, knowledge of IT infrastructure and architecture, and the ability to act as both a project manager and a technical advisor.
A contract project manager is an executive professional who provides project management and business analysis to fill the needs of an organization. Contract project managers are required to monitor and inspect contract projects to maintain a high level of safety and quality traffic control in highly variable conditions. They assist contract project administration with the review of project progress reports. Contract project managers must also manage the relationship between clients and the organization while monitoring the progress of the project to ensure that it complies with the terms of the corporate contract.
Technical project lead managers and contract project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $103,303 | $81,263 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $139,000 | Between $53,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | eBay | PRO Unlimited |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a technical project lead manager and a contract project manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between technical project lead managers' and contract project managers' demographics:
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% | Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 4% |