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Technical project manager vs architect

The differences between technical project managers and architects 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 manager, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical project manager has an average salary of $108,205, which is higher than the $86,635 average annual salary of an architect.

The top three skills for a technical project manager include project management, technical project and scrum. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.

Technical project manager vs architect overview

Technical Project ManagerArchitect
Yearly salary$108,205$86,635
Hourly rate$52.02$41.65
Growth rate16%3%
Number of jobs209,82094,621
Job satisfaction13
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4445
Years of experience64

What does a technical project manager do?

The role of technical project managers is to oversee the planning and management of projects within a company. They are considered as the lead subject matter expert in terms of technology concerns. They have varied duties that include ensuring the completion of projects within an established budget and time frame, hiring and training support members, and improving resource management and project planning. They also communicate with stakeholders and collaborate with other departments, all to attain a common goal.

What does an architect do?

Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".

Technical project manager vs architect salary

Technical project managers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.

Technical Project ManagerArchitect
Average salary$108,205$86,635
Salary rangeBetween $81,000 And $142,000Between $54,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companySheppard Mullin Richter & HamptonMeta
Best paying industryFinanceTechnology

Differences between technical project manager and architect education

There are a few differences between a technical project manager and an architect in terms of educational background:

Technical Project ManagerArchitect
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessArchitecture
Most common collegeStanford UniversityCornell University

Technical project manager vs architect demographics

Here are the differences between technical project managers' and architects' demographics:

Technical Project ManagerArchitect
Average age4445
Gender ratioMale, 73.2% Female, 26.8%Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%15%

Differences between technical project manager and architect duties and responsibilities

Technical project manager example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage project plan with PeopleSoft support team.
  • Manage development through launch of first-ever Microsoft OS touchscreen and keyboard smartphone.
  • Lead the complete system re-write of the mission critical enterprise POS retail system.
  • Manage the daily operations and support of the legacy systems while PeopleSoft are implemented.
  • Help manage the project to install a new Cisco VOIP solution for the entire district.
  • Manage, analyze, and enhance pricing program operational control processes and develop SOX controls and documentation over this process.
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Architect example responsibilities.

  • Manage Daimler resources for development of RFC programs
  • Manage overall testing activities withing the group including functinal, system and regression testing.
  • Manage the company website using HTML and CSS to produce an easily read website that customers can access more intuitively.
  • Manage GitLab and Jenkins deployment environment to support automate AWS- development software builds.
  • Lead re-architecture and implementation of cloud solution for enterprise auto-backup of individual computing devices.
  • Provide insight and manage all technology relate aspects with presentations and communications at Sr. management and CxO level.
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Technical project manager vs architect skills

Common technical project manager skills
  • Project Management, 15%
  • Technical Project, 10%
  • Scrum, 7%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Jira, 5%
  • Software Development, 4%
Common architect skills
  • Cloud, 10%
  • Java, 8%
  • Infrastructure, 7%
  • Azure, 5%
  • AWS, 5%
  • Digital Transformation, 5%

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