Product management’s goal is planning, analyzing, and maximizing the effectiveness of a product. This process includes the development of business strategies, functional design, and management of the launch of new features.
Product management is a specific focus of project management. But you can get even more niched as a Product Manager still. There are business to business (B2B) and business to client (B2C) product managers. Even further, product managers can niche into mobile apps, physical products, desktop or web-based software, or service-based product models.
The most common roles for this job are Product Manager and Software Project Manager. A Software Project Manager must know everything listed above on top of understanding the languages and programs used for software development and tech industry best practices.
Before becoming a Product Manager, it’s worth trying out a general Project Manager position or lower-level software management position like SCRUM Master. Product Managers in tech should be proficient in the programming languages used to build the product.
Product Management Career Options
Here are a few career paths for which you’ll likely need Product Management skills in order to succeed. We also include additional info about their average salaries, their day-to-day responsibilities, and a link to learn more about each career.
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Product Manager
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$123K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$103K / year
Product managers guide product development from ideation to market. Starting with consumer and market research, they use their understanding of customer wants and needs to inform product development and go-to-market strategy. They will work closely with engineering, marketing, sales, and other teams to launch products. After launch, they solicit and analyze feedback on the product to inform future iterations.
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Software Project Manager
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$102K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$107K / year
Software project managers lead software development projects from concept to completion. Using their deep expertise in scheduling, budgeting, sequencing, and resource allocation, software project managers are critical in a software project's success. Software project managers must be able to understand and interpret customer and client needs and deliver a completed, functioning product. After development, they will continue to solicit and incorporate user feedback into future iterations.
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Product Designer
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$127K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$89K / year
A Product Designer is responsible for creating and refining the visual and functional aspects of a product, using skills in user research, sketching, and prototyping to design user-friendly interfaces and physical product prototypes. They collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineers and marketers, to ensure the final product aligns with user needs and company goals.