Product Manager's Guide - Career Progression, Popular Types of Product Managers
This comprehensive guide explores the diverse roles in product management, covering career paths, responsibilities, and emerging trends to help you succeed.
Introduction
As businesses increasingly prioritize delivering exceptional user experiences, the demand for skilled product managers continues to surge. According to various public reports here are some interesting statistics of product manager and product management world:
- The product management field is experiencing rapid growth, with over 1 million LinkedIn profiles carrying the "Product Manager" title as of January 2025, up from 700,000 a year prior.
- While software development roles outnumber product management roles by about 10 to 1, the demand for product managers is rising in tandem with the increasing need for software applications, especially at technology startups.
- Product management is seen as a viable career path, potentially leading to executive roles like VP of Product Management or Chief Product Officer (CPO).
- As companies shift towards market-driven product strategies, the demand for skilled product leaders who can formulate product visions and lead organizations is outpacing supply.
- This talent shortage has driven up salaries, with the average US annual salary for VP of Product Management and CPO roles now around $300,000.
- Product influencers' role will continue to grow in 2025.
(Source: LinkedIn Future of Product Management – 2025 Forecast)
Hence, whether you're a seasoned professional exploring career opportunities in product management or transitioning your career to product management from various roles, like Business Analysis, Program Management, Engineering, or Product Marketing, this comprehensive guide will equip you with valuable insights, empowering you to make informed decisions about your professional journey.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a product manager?
Before we get into the different types of product managers, let's first understand their core responsibilities:
- Conduct market research and gather user insights through product discovery and continuous discovery habits to identify product opportunities.
- Define product vision, continuous discovery, and its process, product strategy, and roadmaps aligned with business goals.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (design, engineering, marketing, etc.) throughout the product life cycle.
- Prioritize features and manage product backlogs.
- Analyze user feedback, metrics, and market trends to drive continuous product improvement.
- Ensure products meet user needs, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
Types of Product Managers: From Entry-Level to Executive
1. Entry Level – at this stage you will see the following product management roles or product management careers:
Associate Product Manager (APM):
- Definition:
An entry-level role that provides hands-on experience in product management, often through structured APM programs or internships.
- Responsibilities:
Assist with market research, user testing, documentation, and executing product initiatives under the guidance of senior PMs.
- Salary Range:
$50,000 - $80,000
- Pros:
Excellent learning opportunity, exposure to various product management aspects, and mentorship from experienced PMs.
- Cons:
Limited decision-making authority, potentially narrow scope of responsibilities.
- Challenges:
Rapidly learning industry/domain knowledge, adapting to fast-paced environments, and demonstrating strategic thinking.
Product Manager:
- Definition:
The core role responsible for driving the product vision, strategy, and execution throughout the product lifecycle.
- Responsibilities:
Conduct user research, define product requirements, prioritize features, collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage product roadmaps, monitor product performance, and drive continuous improvement.
- Salary Range:
$80,000 - $120,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to shape products, work cross-functionally, continuous learning, career growth potential.
- Cons:
High-pressure role, juggling multiple priorities, stakeholder management challenges.
- Challenges:
- Balancing user needs with business objectives, making data-driven decisions, and adapting to changing market dynamics.
Growth Product Manager:
- Definition:
Specialized in driving user acquisition, activation, retention, and revenue growth for a product or service.
- Responsibilities:
Analyze user behaviour data, identify growth opportunities, design and execute growth experiments, optimize user funnels, collaborate with marketing and engineering teams, and implement growth hacking strategies.
- Salary Range:
$90,000 - $140,000
- Pros:
High-impact role, data-driven decision-making, exposure to cutting-edge growth tactics.
- Cons:
Intense focus on metrics and KPIs, constant experimentation and iteration.
- Challenges:
Identifying the right growth levers, balancing short-term wins with long-term strategy, and scaling growth initiatives.
2. Mid-Level Product Management Roles or Product Management Career Choices
Technical Product Manager:
- Definition:
A role that bridges the gap between technical and business domains, often in complex or highly technical products.
- Responsibilities:
Understand technical architectures, collaborate with engineering teams, translate business requirements into technical specifications, ensure product quality and performance, manage technical debt, and drive platform evolution.
- Salary Range:
$100,000 - $150,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies, a deep understanding of technical constraints, respected by engineering teams.
- Cons:
Requires strong technical skills, challenging to balance business and technical priorities.
- Challenges:
Keeping up with rapidly evolving technologies, managing technical complexities, and communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Senior Product Manager:
- Definition:
An experienced role with more strategic responsibilities and an increased scope of influence.
- Responsibilities:
Define product vision and strategy, lead cross-functional teams, mentor junior PMs, drive product portfolio management, identify new product opportunities, influence executive decision-making, and represent the product externally.
- Salary Range:
$120,000 - $180,000
- Pros:
Leadership opportunities, strategic impact, exposure to executive-level decision-making.
- Cons:
Increased pressure and accountability, managing multiple stakeholders, and balancing short-term and long-term priorities.
- Challenges:
Aligning cross-functional teams around a shared vision, navigating organizational politics, and driving large-scale change.
Product Operations Manager:
- Definition: Responsible for optimizing and streamlining the product management processes and workflows within an organization.
- Responsibilities: Define and implement product management best practices, establish governance frameworks, oversee product tools and systems (e.g., roadmapping, project management), enable cross-functional collaboration, and drive operational excellence.
- Salary Range: $100,000 - $150,000
- Pros: Opportunity to improve organizational efficiency, work cross-functionally, and drive process improvements.
- Cons: Balanced view required between process and product delivery.
- Challenges: Aligning stakeholders around standardized processes, change management, and measuring operational metrics.
Product Marketing Manager:
- Definition:
Focuses on positioning, promoting, and driving demand for products within the market.
- Responsibilities:
Develop positioning and messaging, create sales enablement materials, plan go-to-market strategies, manage product launches, coordinate with marketing and sales teams, and analyze market trends and competitor offerings.
- Salary Range:
$90,000 - $130,000
- Pros:
Blend of product management and marketing skills, exposure to market dynamics, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Cons:
Juggling multiple priorities, aligning with diverse stakeholders.
- Challenges:
Effectively communicating complex product value propositions, staying ahead of market shifts, and measuring marketing impact.
Product Designer:
- Definition:
Focuses on the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design aspects of a product.
- Responsibilities:
Conduct user research, create wireframes and prototypes, design intuitive user interfaces, collaborate with product managers and engineers, ensure design consistency, and advocate for the end-user.
- Salary Range:
$80,000 - $120,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to shape user experiences, creative and innovative work, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Cons:
Balancing user needs with technical constraints, the potential for design conflicts.
- Challenges:
Staying current with design trends and best practices, effectively communicating design rationale, and continuously iterating based on user feedback.
AI Product Manager:
- Definition:
Specializes in developing and managing products that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies.
- Responsibilities:
Understand AI/ML capabilities, define AI product strategies, collaborate with data scientists and engineers, ensure responsible AI practices, manage AI model lifecycle, monitor model performance, and drive AI product innovation.
- Salary Range:
$120,000 - $180,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to work at the forefront of emerging technologies, high demand for AI/ML expertise.
- Cons:
Rapidly evolving field, complex technical challenges, ethical considerations.
- Challenges:
Bridging the gap between AI capabilities and business needs, interpreting and communicating AI outputs, ensuring data quality and model governance.
Platform Product Manager:
- Responsibilities:
Define platform vision and roadmap, ensure platform scalability and performance, manage platform APIs and integrations, enable third-party developers, drive platform adoption, and balance the needs of multiple stakeholders.
- Salary Range:
$110,000 - $160,000
- Pros:
Strategic role with broad impact, exposure to various products and technologies.
- Cons:
Navigating complex stakeholder landscapes, and balancing competing priorities.
- Challenges:
Maintaining platform consistency and compatibility, managing technical debt, enabling seamless integrations, and fostering ecosystem growth.
Product Owner (Agile/Scrum):
- Definition:
In Agile software development methodologies, the Product Owner represents the voice of the customer and manages the product backlog.
- Responsibilities:
Define user stories and acceptance criteria, prioritize backlog items, provide clarity to the development team, ensure requirements are met, facilitate Agile ceremonies (e.g., sprint planning, backlog grooming), and communicate product vision and strategy.
- Salary Range:
$90,000 - $130,000
- Pros:
Collaborative role, focused on delivering customer value, exposure to Agile practices.
- Cons:
Balancing multiple stakeholder needs, the potential for scope creep.
- Challenges:
Effectively translating customer needs into actionable requirements, maintaining backlog prioritization, and fostering collaboration across the Agile team.
Product Manager - Open Source:
- Definition:
Manages and contributes to open-source software products and communities.
- Responsibilities:
Define product roadmap and release plans, collaborate with the open-source community, triage and prioritize issues and feature requests, ensure code quality and maintainability, promote project adoption, and engage with contributors and users.
- Salary Range:
$90,000 - $140,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to work on innovative technologies, exposure to diverse perspectives and contributions.
- Cons:
Managing distributed communities, ensuring project sustainability.
- Challenges:
Fostering community engagement, balancing diverse needs and priorities, maintaining project governance and transparency.
Enterprise Product Manager:
- Definition:
Focuses on developing and managing products for large enterprise customers with complex requirements.
- Responsibilities:
Understand enterprise needs and procurement processes, manage complex product configurations and customizations, ensure compliance and security standards, collaborate with enterprise sales and implementation teams, and drive product adoption and user enablement within enterprises.
- Salary Range:
$110,000 - $160,000
- Pros:
Exposure to large-scale enterprise environments, and the opportunity to solve complex problems.
- Cons:
Navigating enterprise bureaucracies, and managing intricate stakeholder landscapes.
- Challenges:
Balancing enterprise-specific requirements with product scalability, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems, and driving organizational change within enterprises.
Product Manager - Regulated Industries (Healthcare, Finance, etc.):
- Definition:
Manages products that must comply with strict regulations and industry standards.
- Responsibilities:
Ensure product adherence to regulatory requirements, collaborate with compliance and legal teams, manage product certifications and audits, understand industry-specific workflows and practices, and drive product adoption within regulated environments.
- Salary Range:
$100,000 - $150,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to work in mission-critical domains, exposure to industry-specific knowledge.
- Cons:
Navigating complex regulatory landscapes, and potential for product constraints.
- Challenges:
Staying up-to-date with evolving regulations, balancing compliance needs with user experience, and managing product risk and liability.
SaaS (Software as a Service) Product Manager:
- Definition:
Specializes in developing and managing cloud-based software products delivered via a subscription model.
- Responsibilities:
Define SaaS product strategy and roadmap, drive customer acquisition and retention, optimize pricing and packaging, manage product updates and releases, ensure service reliability and performance, and analyze usage metrics and customer feedback.
- Salary Range:
$100,000 - $150,000
- Pros:
Exposure to cloud technologies, focus on recurring revenue models, continuous delivery process.
- Cons:
Managing frequent releases, ensuring seamless upgrades for customers.
- Challenges:
Balancing new feature development with technical debt, driving product-led growth, managing cloud infrastructure and scaling.
Product Manager - Digital Transformation:
- Definition:
Guides organizations through the process of leveraging digital technologies to transform business models, operations, and customer experiences.
- Responsibilities:
Assess digital maturity, define digital strategy, identify transformation opportunities, drive process redesign, enable cultural change, oversee implementation of digital solutions, and measure transformation impacts.
- Salary Range:
$110,000 - $180,000
- Pros:
Opportunity to drive large-scale organizational change, and exposure to emerging digital technologies.
- Cons:
Navigating resistance to change, and managing complex stakeholder landscapes.
- Challenges:
Aligning diverse stakeholders on transformation vision, ensuring seamless technology integration, and fostering a digital-first mindset.
3. Executive Level Product Management Roles and Career Choices
Director/VP of Product Management:
- Definition:
An executive-level role responsible for overseeing the entire product portfolio and product management function.
- Responsibilities:
Set the overall product strategy, manage product roadmaps and investments, build and lead product management teams, influence company direction, drive innovation, represent the product externally, and ensure alignment with business goals.
- Salary Range:
$150,000 - $250,000+
- Pros:
Strategic leadership role, significant impact on company direction, exposure to executive decision-making.
- Cons:
Intense pressure and accountability, managing multiple stakeholders, political complexities.
- Challenges:
Building and retaining high-performing teams, aligning product strategy with company vision, driving innovation at scale, and navigating organizational politics.
Senior Vice President (SVP) of Product Management
Role and Responsibilities:
- Set strategic priorities for the product and the business
- Drive cross-functional alignment across the organization
- Contribute to the executive management of the company
- Oversee and guide the product management function
Pros:
- Involvement in broader business strategy beyond product management
- Opportunity to shape the company's direction and competitive position
Cons:
- Managing complex business ecosystems and stakeholder landscapes
- Balancing product priorities with overarching business objectives
Challenges:
- Navigating organizational politics and driving change at scale
- Maintaining a competitive advantage in rapidly evolving markets
- Fostering innovation while optimizing existing product lines
Salary:
- Around $240,000
Chief Product Officer (CPO):
Role and Responsibilities:
- Define the overall product vision, strategy, and execution across all products
- Represent product and product-led growth among key stakeholders
- Lead and scale the product organization to support business growth
- Contribute to the company's executive decision-making process
Pros:
- Seat at the decision-making table, influencing company direction
- Opportunity to drive product innovation and differentiation
Cons:
- Intense pressure and accountability for product success
- Managing diverse stakeholder interests and priorities
Challenges:
- Crafting a cohesive product vision aligned with long-term company goals
- Leading innovation in highly competitive and dynamic markets
- Ensuring the product organization scales effectively with business growth
- Attracting and retaining top product management talent
Salary:
- Around $300,000
Conclusion
The world of product management offers a diverse range of roles and opportunities, each with its unique set of responsibilities, challenges, and rewards. The integration of AI and machine learning, the adoption of Agile methodologies, and the focus on continuous product discovery are just a few examples of the forces shaping the future of product management.
Whether you're just starting your journey or an experienced professional, understanding these different types of product managers can help you chart a path aligned with your career aspirations and skill sets.
Remember, successful product managers possess a unique blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, user empathy, and leadership abilities. Continuous discovery habits, agile thinking, leadership capabilities, learning, adapting to change, and collaborating with cross-functional teams are essential for thriving in this dynamic field.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the most common entry point into product management?
The Associate Product Manager (APM) role is often the starting point for many aspiring product managers, providing hands-on experience and mentorship.
2. Can a technical background help in product management roles?
Yes, a technical background can be highly valuable, especially for roles like Technical Product Manager or for products with significant technical complexity.
3. Is it necessary to have prior experience in a specific industry or domain?
While industry or domain knowledge can be beneficial, strong product management skills and the ability to learn quickly are often more important for many roles.
4. What are the key differences between a Growth Product Manager and a traditional Product Manager?
Growth Product Managers focus specifically on driving user acquisition, activation, retention, and revenue growth, while traditional Product Managers oversee the entire product lifecycle.
5. Can a Product Manager transition into other roles within an organization?
Yes, the skills and experience gained as a Product Manager can open doors to various other roles, such as Product Marketing, Program Management, or even entrepreneurial ventures.
6. How important is data analysis and product analytics for Product Managers?
Data analysis and product analytics are crucial for making informed decisions, measuring product performance, and driving continuous improvement.
What are some emerging trends or technologies impacting the product management field? Emerging trends include Design Thinking, Agile methodologies, Product-Led Growth, AI/ML integration, continuous product discovery, and a heightened focus on user experience and customer-centricity.
By navigating the diverse landscape of product management roles, you can unlock new opportunities for growth, impact, and career fulfilment in this dynamic and rewarding field
10 Tips for Building Strong Relationships with Stakeholders in Product Management
Learn how to cultivate strong relationships with stakeholders in product management through clear communication, trust, and collaboration. Implement these ten actionable tips for success.
2025: Top 20 Must-Read Product Management Books for Every Product Owner, Product Manager
Explore our curated list of the top 20 product management books for 2025, essential for every product manager and owner looking to excel in their career.
2025's Must-Know Product Management Trends That Will Redefine The Industry
Explore the must-know product management trends shaping the industry from 2025 to 2045, focusing on AI, 3D printing, and sustainability.
8 Successful Ways to Stay Current with Product Management Trends
Learn how to successfully navigate the latest trends in product management with these eight effective strategies. Stay innovative and relevant in your field.
A Comprehensive Guide To Growth Product Management
This comprehensive guide delves into Growth Product Management, detailing the role of GPMs in driving user growth and retention through innovative strategies and data analysis.
A Comprehensive Guide: How to be an Exceptional Product Manager?
Explore the essential qualities and strategies to excel as a product manager. Learn how to lead successful product lifecycles from concept to launch.
A-Z of Product Management – The Ultimate Guide for Product Managers
Discover the essential roles and strategies in product management through our ultimate A-Z guide, designed for both new and experienced product managers.
Avoid Product Failure: Embracing a Culture of Experimentation
Explore how embracing a culture of experimentation can mitigate product failure and enhance business success by understanding customer needs and market dynamics.
Boost Productivity with Shorter Loop’s Feature Enhancements
Explore Shorter Loop's innovative feature enhancements that empower product managers and teams to boost productivity and achieve better outcomes in product management.
Collaborative and Cross-Functional: The Future of Product Management
This blog post discusses the rising trend of collaborative and cross-functional product management teams, highlighting their benefits and challenges.
Discover, Iterate, Succeed: 7 persuasive factors for implementing Continuous Discovery
Explore the seven persuasive factors crucial for implementing Continuous Discovery. Learn how it fosters customer engagement and enhances product value.
Essential attributes for thriving as a Product Manager: Traits you need to Succeed
Understanding the essential traits for product managers can significantly impact product success. This guide covers key attributes you need to thrive in this role.
From Failure To Fortune: Top 10 Startup Ideas To Drive Immediate Success In 2025
Explore the top 10 startup ideas that promise to drive immediate success in 2025. Transform challenges into opportunities with these innovative concepts.
How Shorter Loop Helps You Launch Products 80% Faster
Shorter Loop revolutionizes product management, enabling teams to launch products 80% faster. With real-time feedback and strategic alignment, efficiency skyrockets.
Innovation on the Horizon: 10 Future Trends for Product Management Professionals
Discover the 10 essential trends for Product Management professionals that are set to shape the industry in the coming years. Stay informed and elevate your skills.
OKRs vs KPIs: What’s best for your successful business?
This blog post explores the significant differences between OKRs and KPIs, highlighting their complementary roles in driving business success and performance tracking.
Persona Spectrum: Design With Not For
The Persona Spectrum approach is key to understanding user diversity, addressing mismatches in design, and enhancing overall UX. Learn how to implement it effectively.
Product Manager's Guide - Career Progression, Popular Types of Product Managers
This comprehensive guide explores the diverse roles in product management, covering career paths, responsibilities, and emerging trends to help you succeed.
Shorter Loop Exclusive: Unlocking Its Purpose And Staggering Benefits
Explore the transformative capabilities of Shorter Loop, an AI-powered super app designed to revolutionize product management and enhance team collaboration.
Shorter Loop Featured on G2’s Summer List 2025
Shorter Loop is proudly recognized as a High Performer on G2's Summer List 2025, underscoring its exceptional usability and strong customer support.
Shorter Loop Gets Recognition in Product Management by G2 and Crozdesk, 2025
Shorter Loop has been recognized by G2 as a High Performer and by Crozdesk as a Product Leader in Spring 2025, reflecting its commitment to excellence in product management.
The Art of Work Item Management: Building an Effective Product Backlog Hierarchy
Learn the importance of a well-structured product backlog and how to manage work items efficiently to enhance product development workflows.
The Best AI Productivity Tools In 2025 and Beyond: Every Leader's Guide
Discover the essential AI productivity tools every Product Manager needs to overcome challenges and supercharge their workflow in 2025.
The Crucial Role of Product Management in Business Strategy
Product management is vital to developing successful products and services, aligning with business strategy to meet organizational goals.
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Discovery Products: Features, Benefits, and Considerations
This guide delves into discovery products, elaborating on their features, advantages, and essential considerations for businesses seeking innovation.
The essential guide to measuring and analyzing Product Management performance: Key metrics and KPIs to track
This guide explores vital metrics and KPIs for Product Managers to effectively measure product performance and enhance customer satisfaction.
Top 10 Mistakes Product Managers Make and How to Avoid Them
Explore the common pitfalls that product managers encounter and gain insights on effective strategies to enhance your product management skills.
Top 10 Product Management Tools in 2025 and beyond
Explore the essential product management tools for 2025 that empower teams to achieve their goals through streamlined workflows and enhanced collaboration.
Top 15 Product Management Conferences Every Product Manager Must Attend in 2025
Explore the top 15 product management conferences happening in 2025 that every product manager should attend for networking, education, and career advancement.
Top 23 Product Management Conferences in 2025 You Need To Know Worldwide
Explore the top 23 product management conferences in 2025 that promise invaluable networking, learning, and career growth opportunities for professionals worldwide.
Top 5 Product Management Skills You Can’t Afford to Miss in 2025
Master the essential product management skills for 2025 to drive innovation and growth. Don't get left behind in a fast-evolving landscape!
Transforming GupShup’s Product Management with Shorter Loop’s Data-Driven Solutions
This post explores the collaboration between GupShup and Shorter Loop, highlighting effective data-driven solutions to enhance product management efficiency.
Unearthing the Neglected Fundamentals of Product Management: What You Need to Know to Make it Shine
Explore the essential fundamentals of product management that bridge innovation and customer desires. Learn how to transform ideas into successful products.
Unlocking the Power of Innovation Accounting: A Beginner's Guide
This comprehensive beginner's guide explores innovation accounting, its importance for startups, and how to leverage metrics for growth and success.
Unveiling the power of Impact Mapping: 5 Ways to Optimize Your Product's Impact
Explore how impact mapping can transform your product development process by aligning business objectives with customer needs. Learn five key strategies to maximize impact.
What is a Strategy Board and How to Create it in Shorter Loop?
Discover what a Strategy Board is and how it enhances collaboration and clarity in product management. Learn to create your own in Shorter Loop.
What makes Product Vision a critical step in achieving business goals?
A well-defined product vision serves as a guiding star for product development, aligning team efforts and motivating stakeholders. This blog explores its critical role in reaching business objectives.
Why New Products Fail: A Roadmap to Success with Shorter Loop
This blog post explores the high stakes of product launches and outlines critical reasons behind the failure of new products. Learn how to navigate these pitfalls for successful outcomes using Shorter Loop.