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The differences between technical project lead managers and technical 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 technical manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technical manager has an average salary of $116,619, which is higher than the $103,303 average annual salary of a technical project lead manager.
The top three skills for a technical project lead manager include project management, technical project and infrastructure. The most important skills for a technical manager are project management, infrastructure, and architecture.
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $103,303 | $116,619 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $56.07 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 199,371 | 116,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 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.
Technical project lead managers and technical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average salary | $103,303 | $116,619 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $139,000 | Between $84,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | eBay | A.T. Kearney |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical project lead manager and a technical manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between technical project lead managers' and technical managers' demographics:
| Technical Project Lead Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 14% |