Administration & Program Management
Project Manager
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Analyze and coordinate the schedule, timeline, procurement, staffing, and budget of a product or service on a per project basis. Lead and guide the work of technical staff. May serve as a point of contact for the client or customer.
Also called: Fiber Project Manager · Implementation Project Manager · Project Management Consultant
O*NET-SOC 13-1082.00 (Project Management Specialists)
Project Manager salary
Wages for project management specialists across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $49.19.
Project Manager pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $69,180 | $120,910 | $188,560 |
| Texas | $57,460 | $98,440 | $162,780 |
| Florida | $59,070 | $98,070 | $161,250 |
| New York | $74,580 | $121,040 | $192,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,600 | $100,150 | $160,560 |
| Illinois | $65,300 | $103,470 | $163,910 |
| Ohio | $59,280 | $95,770 | $160,570 |
| Georgia | $58,290 | $102,140 | $163,320 |
| North Carolina | $61,570 | $100,820 | $164,050 |
| Michigan | $61,980 | $100,970 | $154,260 |
Project Manager job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 1,094,300 jobs in 2025 to 1,167,400 in 2035 (7% change).
- About 76,500 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Rapid Growth; Numerous Job Openings).
How to become a project manager
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma1.1%
- High school diploma or equivalent7.3%
- Some college, no degree12.6%
- Associate's degree6.6%
- Bachelor's degree46.4%
- Master's degree23.1%
- Doctoral or professional degree2.9%
Related training programs
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Business/Commerce, General
- Construction Project Management
- Information Technology Project Management
- Project Management
- Science/Technology Management
What does a project manager do?
Common tasks
- Communicate with key stakeholders to determine project requirements and objectives.
- Identify project needs such as resources, staff, or finances by reviewing project objectives and schedules.
- Submit project deliverables to clients, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
- Confer with project personnel to identify and resolve problems.
- Plan, schedule, or coordinate project activities to meet deadlines.
- Request and review project updates to ensure deadlines are met.
- Monitor project milestones and deliverables.
- Assign duties or responsibilities to project personnel.
- Create project status presentations for delivery to customers or project personnel.
- Produce and distribute project documents.
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Project Manager certifications
The certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- International Business Training Association · Specialty
- SAP America, Inc. · Product/Equipment
- PMI Project Management Ready (PMI-PMR)Project Management Institute · Core
- SAP America, Inc. · Product/Equipment · In demand
- ACRP Project Manager (ACRP-PM) (ACRP-PM)Association of Clinical Research Professionals · Advanced
- American Academy of Project Management · Advanced
- Project Management Institute · Advanced · In demand
Project Manager jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more administration & program management jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Administration & Program Management jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
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More administration & program management careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Project Management Specialists. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.