What is a product manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Experts
Dylan Brewer,
Sachin Tuli
introduction image

A product manager is a person responsible for overseeing the development and launch of a company's products. They work at the intersection of business, technology, and design, and collaborate with various teams to ensure that the final product meets customer needs and company goals. A product manager researches market trends, identifies customer needs, creates product roadmaps, sets priorities, manages budgets, and communicates with stakeholders throughout the development process.

What general advice would you give to a Product Manager?

D

Dylan BrewerDylan Brewer LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Students with a bachelor's degree in economics from Georgia Tech often find employment opportunities in a variety of fields, including technology, consulting, banking, and policy/nonprofit organizations. In addition, lots of students go on to pursue graduate degrees. Here are some typical jobs that economics graduates from Georgia Tech might pursue:

Tech:
Data analyst roles at tech companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.
Business analyst or product manager roles at tech firms
Economic analyst positions at tech companies, analyzing market trends and consumer behavior
Positions in financial technology companies, leveraging economic knowledge and data skills

Consulting:
Economic consultant roles at major consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte, etc.
Management consulting positions, providing data-driven business strategy advice
Consulting roles focused on economic analysis, forecasting, and risk assessment

Banking/Finance:
Roles in investment banking, such as financial analyst or associate positions
Positions in commercial banking, such as credit analyst or loan officer
Opportunities in corporate finance, financial analysis, and risk management departments
Roles in asset management firms, hedge funds, and other investment companies

Policy/Nonprofit:
Economic policy analyst positions at think tanks, research organizations, or government agencies
Roles in economic development organizations, analyzing policies and initiatives
Opportunities at nonprofit organizations focused on economic issues, such as poverty alleviation or microfinance
Positions in international organizations like the World Bank or IMF, working on economic development projects

Graduate studies:
Economics PhD and masters programs focused on research
Legal (JD) programs and other social sciences PhD programs
Data science masters programs

The quantitative and analytical skills gained through an economics degree, combined with Georgia Tech's strong reputation in STEM fields, make economics graduates attractive candidates for roles that involve data analysis, forecasting, and strategic decision-making across various industries.
ScoreProduct ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $111,729

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.5

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 34.68%

male 65.32%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress Level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Product Manager?

Pros

  • Work on innovative and exciting products

  • High earning potential and job security

  • Opportunity for career advancement

  • Constantly learning and adapting to new technologies and trends

  • Flexibility in work hours and location

Cons

  • High stress levels due to the constantly changing nature of the job

  • Long working hours, including weekends and holidays

  • Responsibility for the success or failure of a product

  • Balancing short-term priorities with long-term goals can be challenging

  • Pressure to innovate and stay ahead of competitors can be exhausting

Product Manager career paths

Key steps to become a product manager

  1. Explore product manager education requirements

    Most common product manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.2 %

    Master's

    17.0 %

    Associate

    6.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific product manager skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Product Management10.76%
    QA4.95%
    Product Strategy4.52%
    Project Management4.13%
    Market Research3.96%
  3. Complete relevant product manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New product managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a product manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real product manager resumes.
  4. Research product manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead collaborative efforts within the PMO, vendors, customers, and internal stakeholders.
    • Manage developers accountable for coding, database development, UI implementation, and system architecture.
    • Manage inventory service levels / overstocks /defective inventory and supplier buy-in opportunities to maximize ROI.
    • Lead customization of the company's administrative SaaS software solution by defining features and functionality for internal/external stakeholder teams.
  5. Prepare your product manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your product manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a product manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Product Manager Resume templates

    Build a professional Product Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Product Manager resume.
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  6. Apply for product manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a product manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Product Manager Job

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Average product manager salary

The average Product Manager salary in the United States is $111,729 per year or $54 per hour. Product manager salaries range between $81,000 and $152,000 per year.

Average Product Manager Salary
$111,729 Yearly
$53.72 hourly

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How do product managers rate their job?

5/5

Out of 1 Product Manager reviews, 100% were positive.

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Based On 1 Ratings

Career Growth
4.0
Overall Rating
5.0
Work/Life Balance
3.0
Pay / Salary
5.0

Product Manager reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023
Pros

Solve tough problems, work on agile teams, outlet for creativity,

Cons

high expectations, constantly evolving technology, broad range of topics to learn (product management specifics, industry, technology, software development methods


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Its not a specific job, As a product manager your job responsibilities cover many different areas and that's what i love about it.

Cons

all other teams think that they are doing a task for you instead of thinking that they are part of a team on a project


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

I love the problem solving aspect. Helping my team work through problems and training new employees to perform to their best.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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