Diversity in Product: Exploring Several Product Roles and Compensation Differences
Highlighting different product roles, their core responsibilities, and compensation details for different geographical locations
There are diverse and dynamic product roles globally, and each of these roles has a unique set of responsibilities. In this article, I will highlight some of those roles and provide an overview of their respective core responsibilities and compensation.
Whether you’re a newbie Product person or a Product leader, this article will provide valuable insights that you may need.
Each role/job title and their responsibilties may differ based on the structure of the company or geographical location. Compensation too can vary significantly and is influenced by multiple factors; level of responsibility, expertise, company size, and location.
PRODUCT MANAGER (Generalist)
Core Responsibilities:
- Defines the product vision and strategy based on research, customer feedback, and business objectives.
- Creates and maintains the product roadmap to guide the development team.
- Prioritizes features and tasks based on customer needs and business value.
- Sets clear and measurable product goals and tracks progress towards achieving them.
- Conducts user and market research.
- Makes data-driven decisions and continuously iterates on the product to improve its performance and user experience.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria:
Source 1: ₦6,480,000 (540,000 monthly)—Source: Glassdoor
Source 2: ₦4,008,000 (334,000 monthly)—Source: MySalaryScale
‘Lola Soleye’s 2021 report on PM salaries — Read the full article HERE
United States: $146,915 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £70,291 (Source: Glassdoor)
PRODUCT OWNER
Core Responsibilities:
- Acts as the voice of the customer and ensures that customer requirements are well-defined and understood by the development team.
- Collaborates with the Product Manager to translate the product vision and strategy into actionable tasks and user stories.
- Manages the product backlog, keeping it up-to-date, prioritized, and aligned with business goals.
- Works closely with the development team during sprint planning and execution to provide clarifications and make decisions.
- Accepts or rejects completed work items based on acceptance criteria and ensures that the delivered product meets quality standards and user expectations.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦3,342,000 (278,500 monthly) (Source: Glassdoor)
United States: $125,803 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £60,474 (Source: Glassdoor)
PRODUCT SPECIALIST
Core Responsibilities:
- Monitors the product life cycle to ensure the growth, marketability, and sustainability of the product at every stage of the life cycle.
- Acts as a subject matter expert and supports the sales and customer support teams.
- Ensures the profitability and continued growth of a product for an organization.
- Assists in product demonstrations and presentations to clients and prospects.
- Provides input to the Product Manager on customer feedback and feature requests.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦6,144,012 (512,001 monthly) (Source: Glassdoor)
United States: $89,615 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £51,730 (Source: Glassdoor)
PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER
Core Responsibilities:
- Develops and executes marketing strategies and plans for the product.
- Conducts market research and competitor analysis to identify market opportunities.
- Defines the product’s unique value proposition and positioning.
- Creates marketing materials, such as product messaging, sales collateral, and content.
- Collaborates with the marketing and sales teams to launch and promote the product effectively.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦4,800,000 (400,000 monthly) (Source: Glassdoor)
United States: $156,074 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £72,782 (Source: Glassdoor)
GROWTH PRODUCT MANAGER
Core Responsibilities:
- Focuses on strategies to drive product growth, user acquisition, and retention.
- Analyzes user data, conducts research, and uses other growth hacking techniques to optimize the product’s performance.
- Identifies opportunities to improve user engagement and conversion rates.
- Collaborates with marketing, product, and engineering teams to implement growth initiatives.
- Sets growth-related KPIs and tracks progress toward meeting those goals.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦6,000,000 (500,000 monthly) (Source: Word of mouth from a Growth PM — no online resource)
United States: $144,708 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £63,602 (Source: Glassdoor)
TECHNICAL PRODUCT MANAGER
Core Responsibilities:
- Works closely with engineering teams and possesses a strong technical background.
- Translates technical requirements and constraints into product features.
- Collaborates with the product owner or product manager to ensure the technical feasibility and scope of user stories.
- Assesses and manages technical risks and challenges during the product development process.
- Provides technical guidance and direction to the development team.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦7,200,000 (600,000 monthly) (Source: Word of mouth from a Technical PM — no online resource)
United States: $169,564 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £79,546 (Source: Glassdoor)
DATA PRODUCT MANAGER
Core Responsibilities:
- Monitors product data performance and iterates for continuous improvements.
- Collaborates with stakeholders to understand data-driven needs and opportunities.
- Defines data requirements and ensures the availability of necessary data sources.
- Works with data engineers and analysts to develop data pipelines and algorithms.
- Focuses on products that leverage data as a core component or are data-driven.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: (No source found)
United States: $149,454 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £69,032 (Source: Glassdoor)
PRODUCT ANALYST
Core Responsibilities:
- Analyzes product-related data to provide insights and recommendations.
- Works with cross-functional teams to define metrics and KPIs to measure product success.
- Conducts user behavior analysis and identifies patterns and trends.
- Assists in data-driven decision-making for product improvements and strategy.
- Prepares and presents reports on product performance and user feedback.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦1,444,000 (120,333 monthly) (Source: Payscale)
United States: $94,179 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £53,024 (Source: Glassdoor)
PRODUCT OPERATIONS
Core Responsibilities:
- Streamline product development processes and workflows.
- Manage the product roadmap and ensure alignment with business goals.
- Coordinate communication and collaboration among cross-functional teams.
- Track project progress and identify bottlenecks or issues.
- Support Product Managers in various administrative and operational tasks.
Average Compensation (Annual)
Nigeria: ₦6,000,000 (500,000 monthly) (Source: Word of mouth from a Product Operations Manager — no online resource)
United States: $112,650 (Source: Glassdoor)
United Kingdom: £52,044 (Source: Glassdoor)
As mentioned earlier, the information provided is a general overview and may not precisely reflect the exact responsibilities or compensation for each of the roles. It serves as a guiding reference and offers insights.
I hope it was a valuable and insightful read for you. 🤗
