How to become a product development manager
Official title: Product development manager
Also called: Product manager, Product innovation manager, Product development consultant, Product development specialist
Product development managers oversee the development of products that improve businesses. They manage product design and production, and delivery of new products or improvement of existing ones.
Main tasks
- Identify new product ideas
- Research how people use products
- Research how products work
- Lead teams through product development
- Manage prototype and testing phases
- Improve products to meet customer needs
- Manage budgets
- Work with marketing and sales teams
How to become one
You usually need a qualification and experience to become a product development manager. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in business and management, computer science, graphics and design studies or similar area; experience in similar work; to be registered with the Product Development and Management Association of New Zealand.
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in graphics and design. TEC links this job to study in graphics and design studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Digital Media and Design, NZ Dip in Animation, NZ Dip in Web Design and Production, Dip in Design. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $42,000 a year one year after study and $56,000 five years after; 39% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Advanced certificates and diplomas in software engineering and computer science. TEC links this job to study in computer science. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Applied Software Development, NZ Dip in Software Development, Dip in Cloud Engineering. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study and $65,000 five years after; 50% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $93,000 to $165,000 a year (median $125,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $65,000 a year · Upper: $210,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 230 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
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Questions people ask
How do I become a product development manager?
You usually need a qualification and experience to become a product development manager. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in business and management, computer science, graphics and design studies or similar area; experience in similar work; to be registered with the Product Development and Management Association of New Zealand.
How much does a product development manager earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $125,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $93,000 to $165,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a product development manager grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026