What is the Average Associate Product Manager Salary?
Product management can have vastly different meanings depending on the type of company and products. Industries such as SaaS have introduced cloud-based products and services that require an entirely different set of skills. As a result, the average associate product manager salary today can be different in varying cases.
While many companies still focus on getting Scrum-based associate product managers, others tend to be more open. Associate product manager employees include people like data scientists, data engineers, product designers, systems engineers, data analysts, and product analysts. It’s safe to say that today’s associate product manager requires much more knowledge and experience.
In this article, we’ll discuss what effect these additional requirements have on the associate product manager salary.
What Does an Associate Product Manager Do?
Associate product managers handle, organize, and manage a company’s product-related processes. They make sure all the logistics are in place and that the required materials are present and accounted for in full.
They work in tandem with project managers, engineering managers, and technical product managers to develop strategies to improve output and productivity. Therefore, associate product managers require an advanced understanding of product strategy, production procedures, product allocation, business development, and even software engineering, in some cases.
They also have to provide training for product handling and have to implement data systems. These systems may include Salesforce, DevOps, Android, and other similar systems. Usually, at this point, they work with a senior software engineer to make sure everything is on track.
Associate product managers also manage the product team to ensure they reach company product goals while proposing and implementing new product ideas. Therefore, they’re also responsible for helping develop the product roadmap and ensure it’s followed.
With so many new processes due to technologies such as machine learning, associate product managers often have to prioritize processes. Furthermore, they conduct product analyses, document analyses, and project analyses to develop project timelines, scopes, and requirements.
Their external responsibilities include consistent interaction with vendors and clients to ensure brand loyalty and customer success. Associate product managers have to make sure customer support is adequate and that the user experience is optimized. Using market information, they make sure product offerings are relevant and any technical product issues are rectified.
Their jobs require problem-solving skills, multitasking, leadership qualities, excellent communication skills, and product knowledge. Due to these extreme requirements, HR managers and recruiters usually take extra measures when hiring an associate product manager.
What is the Average Base Salary for an Associate Product Manager?
According to Glassdoor, the national average salary for an associate product manager in the United States is $81,347.
The average hourly wage for an associate product manager is approximately $46.15. The total number of associate product managers in the United States is estimated to be around 250,000. That number may be higher though due to companies having different job titles for the role.
According to the salary info of associate product managers, the job pays the most in San Francisco, where the annual mean wage is $124,133, with an hourly wage of $59.7. Following San Francisco, the top-paying cities are Atlanta, New York, Washington, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles, respectively.
Furthermore, the highest number of associate product manager jobs are in the state of California, followed by New York and Massachusetts.
Each state, industry, and company may have minor differences in the job titles and descriptions. That might lead to discrepancies in the associate product manager salary in each situation. Therefore, it’s best to look at the average wages.
If you’re interested in getting a higher product manager salary, then check out our certification courses to help you do just that.
Is There a Gender Disparity in How Much an Associate Product Manager Makes?
Based on over 1,300 reviews on PayScale, there is no pay gap when it comes to gender in associate product manager jobs. The total compensation for each individual is based on their responsibilities and experience.
The gender breakdown is as follows:
Female Product Marketing Managers: 51.2%
Male Product Marketing Managers: 48.4%
Self-Defining Product Marketing Managers: 0.4%
The average total compensation for associate product managers depends mainly on the company, industry, and products they manage. Furthermore, another critical factor is the years of experience they have. Lastly, the level of education, product management certifications, and other projects an associate product manager has worked on also play a role in determining the salary.
Associate Product Manager Salary Ranges
Due to the extensive factors that affect an associate product manager’s salaries, the salary range is rather wide.
The salaries for associate product managers range from $63,000 to $129,000.
The majority of associate product managers’ salaries are below the national average. However, some of the higher-end salaries make the average go up. The highest-paid associate product managers usually have top degrees, certifications, and many years of experience.
Other than the salary, the additional cash compensation that includes benefits and bonuses amounts to $11,366, on average. The typical range is between $3,660 and $29,137.
Average Associate Product Manager Salary Range with Respect to Company Size
The following list details the changes in the average salary and salary range for associate product managers with respect to different company sizes:
- 0-50 Employees: The average base pay is $78,138, and the salary ranges from $49,000 to $111,000.
- 51-200 Employees: The average base pay rises a little to $82,527, and the salary ranges from $52,000 to $117,000.
- 201-500 Employees: A further increase has the average salary at $88,416 and it ranges from $56,000 to $123,000.
- 501-1000 Employees: With a slight change, the average pay is $91,520, and the range is between $58,000 and $125,000.
- 1001-5000 Employees: The average base pay decreases at this point to $88,332, and the range goes from $57,000 to $126,000.
- 5001+ Employees: Increasing again, the average salary goes to $92,213, while the salary range is between $63,000 and $127,000.
These numbers show that most larger companies tend to pay associate product managers below the national average.
Average Associate Product Manager Salary Range with Respect to Years of Experience
The following lists down the changes in the average salary and salary ranges with respect to the years of experience an associate product manager has in their field.
- 0-1 Years of Experience: The typical starting base salary for newcomers is $74,262, while the salary ranges from $46,000 to $101,000.
- 1-3 Years of Experience: This may be someone who was previously an account manager or a product development expert. They tend to have an average salary of $72,789, and their typical salary range is between $47,000 and $109,000.
- 4-6 Years of Experience: This level of experience usually gets you a salary of $85,415. The salary range is between $56,000 and $125,000.
- 7-9 Years of Experience: At this point, the average salary is near the national average at $96,756, and the salary ranges from $63,000 to $134,000.
- 10-14 Years of Experience: Being in the industry this long typically gives you an excellent average salary of $102,914, and the salary usually ranges from $69,000 to $144,000.
- 15+ Years of Experience: Associate product managers with more than 15 years of experience typically have an average salary of $109,549. The usual salary range is from $74,000 to $153,000.
Most associate product managers are in the early career stage, with around 3-7 years of experience. Therefore, most associate product manager salaries are below the national average.
Average Salaries for Related Jobs
It’s best to compare the associate product manager salary with the salaries of other product-based jobs. The following are some product-related roles and their average salaries:
- Senior Product Manager: Often interchangeable with product managers in smaller companies, the average salary for the position is $123,895.
- Senior Product Marketing Manager: Usually one step ahead of product marketing managers, they get around $121,244, on average.
- Director of Product Management: The Director earns around $149,000, on average.
- Chief Product Officer (CPO): CPO is the highest product-related position – the average base pay is $193,892.
- Product Manager: Associate product managers are often promoted to product managers, while the average product manager salary is $108,992.
The salaries listed above will vary for different companies, industries, and states. They will also be affected by an individual’s experience, education, and knowledge.
How Do I Know I’m Getting a Good Salary?
Rather than using Google to find out if you’re getting the right salary, it’s better to visit sites such as Glassdoor, PayScale, and Salary.com. They have thousands of anonymous reviews from several industries, such as SaaS, eCommerce, retail, and FMCG, among others.
Apply the appropriate filters and check out the salaries each site shows. Compare all of them with your salary to determine if you’re getting the right associate product manager salary.
If you are new to product management and are looking to break into your first product role, we recommend taking our Product Manager Certification Course, where you will learn fundamentals of product management, launch your own product, and get on the fast track towards landing your first product job.
