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What is a product line manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Sachin Tuli
introduction image

A Product Line Manager is responsible for providing products and market intelligence to companies. These people usually work in a consulting capacity, thus, hired by companies. But most of them prefer working as permanent staff under some organization. They have just one intention: to increase market share.

Product Line Managers are responsible for determining product promotion strategies, pricing, and positioning. To become a Product Line Manager, there are some important skills you need to have before you can be qualified for this post; some of these skills include Strategic thinking skills, Good Communication skills, Excellent Business Acumen, the ability to rationalize data, and provide a practical solution.

As for academic qualifications needed for this job, they include a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Management, Business Administration, or its equivalent. Nevertheless, some organizations still prefer GED or High School Degrees to either Bachelor's or Master's degree holders.

As for the salary structure, it depends on the size of the organization, your experience on the job, and the country you reside. In the United States, for example, an average Product Line Manager is paid between $114,204 and $76,000, depending on the factors we have mentioned earlier above.

What's a day at work look like for a Product Line Manager?

Sachin TuliSachin Tuli LinkedIn Profile

Director, International Business Major, Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The pandemic accelerated ongoing shifts with work-from-anywhere and use of remote meeting technologies. With mass adoption at all levels, these trends are likely to persist to some degree across fields and industries. There will likely be less travel for a number of years, but concurrently we may see more cross-team and cross-national collaboration and coordination. From an international business perspective, firms do plan to continue their globalization efforts and we know that graduates themselves increasingly seek potential global opportunities and mobility when choosing which organizations to work for.
ScoreProduct Line ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $97,237

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 21.20%

male 78.80%

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

Product Line Manager career paths

Key steps to become a product line manager

  1. Explore product line manager education requirements

    Most common product line manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.6 %

    Master's

    18.7 %

    Associate

    6.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific product line manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Product Management7.21%
    Customer Service5.78%
    PLM5.12%
    Project Management4.53%
    Market Research4.23%
  3. Complete relevant product line manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New product line 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 line manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real product line manager resumes.
  4. Research product line manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead Sr. VP staff to define a business partner program.
    • Hire 35 RN's as well to manage Alere business to support their CHF program.
    • Lead cross-functional team in pioneering the application/game download ecosystem with the implementation of Java games and generating significant new revenue stream.
    • Discuss various cloud base and on prem solution options to host the controller software.
  5. Prepare your product line manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your product line 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 line 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 Line Manager Resume templates

    Build a professional Product Line 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 Line Manager resume.
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    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
    Product Line Manager Resume
  6. Apply for product line manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a product line 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 Line Manager Job

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Average product line manager salary

The average Product Line Manager salary in the United States is $97,237 per year or $47 per hour. Product line manager salaries range between $52,000 and $178,000 per year.

Average Product Line Manager Salary
$97,237 Yearly
$46.75 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do product line managers rate their job?

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Product Line Manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023
Cons

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

Pros

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


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


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Cons

Agendas


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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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