Product Manager Job Description

Why Do Businesses Need Product Managers?

Businesses need Product Managers to oversee the creation of digital products and to advocate for the customer to those who build it. Industries are being transformed by the digital revolution, which is pushing demand for Product Managers across industries. 

Finance is one of the industries hiring the most Product Managers. Banks and other financial institutions must offer digital tools and online platforms to stay competitive in the market. So, they’re hiring Product Managers to make this happen. Likewise, the rise of streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Netflix, has driven demand for Product Managers in the entertainment industry.

Where Do Product Managers Usually Work?

Some of the industries hiring the most Product Managers are tech, finance, entertainment, and healthcare. The use of Product Managers in the tech industry has created demand in other industries, especially those that have become more tech-reliant. The need to develop digital products and services in every industry is driving the demand for Product Managers. 

Financial institutions must now offer digital products and platforms to remain competitive. This has made the finance industry one of the top industries for Product Managers. Likewise, the rise of streaming services, such as Netflix and Spotify, is creating demand for Product Managers in the entertainment industry. Wearable healthcare devices and digital medical platforms have created demand for Product Managers in the healthcare industry. 

Product Manager Salary and Job Outlook

Product management is a creative and rewarding career. It can also be lucrative: the average salary for a Product Manager is around $90,000. Product Managers at major tech companies, such as Meta or Google, earn around $175,000. However, Product Managers earn more at companies across industries. For example, Product Managers at Boeing earn around $170,000 annually. Walmart pays Product Managers around $150,000. 

Salary can also vary based on location. For example, Product Managers in New York City earn around $105,000 annually, while Product Managers in Dallas, TX, earn around $95,000. 

Product Management is growing much faster than the average. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, product management is expected to grow around 10 percent by 2024. Much of the growth in product management can be traced back to the rise of data-driven business decisions and the digital transformation in every industry. Technology is driving the need for Product Managers across industries. The finance industry is one of the fastest growing for Product Managers because financial institutions must develop digital tools and platforms to remain competitive in the market. In the entertainment industry, the rise of streaming services, such as Spotify and Hulu, is creating demand for Product Managers. 

How Long Does it Take to Become a Product Manager?

This is the golden age of product management, which means there has never been a better time to launch a new career as a Product Manager. One of the fastest ways to start a career as a Product Manager is through earning certificates in the three core product management skill sets: software engineering, UX design, and project management. Earning a certificate will help you get hired, as you can easily demonstrate your product management skills to potential employers. 

Product Manager vs. Similar Career

Many people move from other career paths into product management, such as software engineering, data science, project management, and UX design. Product management combines coding, design, and project management. These fields are natural stepping stones to becoming a Product Manager. You might even consider working in one of these fields before applying for a product management position. 

Many people confuse product management and project management. Typically, a Product Manager is a more senior position since they’re managing the entire product. You might think of a Product Manager as doing continuous project management on the same product. One excellent way of understanding the difference between the two is that a Product Manager makes sure that the right product is built, while a Project Manager ensures that it is done on time and on budget. 

Learn the Skills to Become a Product Manager at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers business, design, and coding classes live online and in-person classes at their state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. Training at Noble Desktop offers aspiring Product Managers a huge head start since they specialize in the three core job skills: coding, user-driven design, and project management. 

All of Noble Desktop’s courses are taught by expert instructors, have guaranteed small class sizes, and feature a “free retake” option, meaning you can “retake” any course for free for up to one year to continue developing your skills. Noble Desktop uses a unique approach to career training: their expert instructors teach a “micro-lecture” and then immediately guide students through applying what they’ve learned through real-world, hands-on projects. This unique approach guarantees that you’ll learn the skills you need to launch a new career as a Product Manager. 

Hiring managers report that certificates and certifications move a resume to the top of the pile. Noble Desktop offers certificate programs in the three core skills the most: software engineering, user-driven design (UX), and project management. Earning certificates in these core skill sets can help you launch a new career as a Product Manager. 

Noble Desktop’s Software Engineering Certificate provides the technical experience needed by a Product Manager. This certificate program is divided into two parts: front end development (what you see) and back end development (how it works). In the first part, expert instructors guide students through coding in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In the second part, expert instructors guide students through the fundamentals of coding in Python, Django, and querying with SQL. Professional Product Managers often recommend learning SQL as an additional skill. This certificate program will give you a head start. Graduates earn a New York State Licensed Certificate in Software Engineering, which is shareable on LinkedIn. 

Product Managers are advocates for the user: they know how to use research and data to make sure the product meets the user’s needs. To do this, you’ll need skills in user experience (UX) design. Noble Desktop’s UX & UI Design Certificate provides comprehensive training in user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. Students are guided through hands-on, real-world projects to learn user-driven design principles, user research, product prototype building, creating product case studies, and visual designs. This certificate program also trains students in using Figma and Sketch for design and prototyping. Graduates earn a New York State Licensed Certificate in UX & UI design, which is verifiable and shareable on Linkedin. 

Project management is a very hot career path on its own and one of the core skill sets of becoming a Product Manager. You might think of a Product Manager as handling the “what” and “why” and project management as handling the “how” and “when.” Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp project management courses are taught by PMP-certified Project Managers. Students are guided through real-world projects to develop skills in the Project Life Cycle, project management terminology, project selection and scheduling, resource management, risk management, and Agile Frameworks. 

If you’d like to read more about becoming a Product Manager, you might check out this Product Management Learn Hub. Combining these certificates on your resume is a fantastic way to launch a new career as a Product Manager. 

Key Takeaways

• Product Managers are the CEO of a product and combine skills in coding, design, and project management.
• Product Managers spend a lot of time communicating and need excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The rise of digital products and platforms is driving demand for Product Managers in every industry.
• You can receive comprehensive training to become a Product Manager through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.