Project Manager Salaries: How Much Does a Project Manager Make?

Key Takeaways

Project managers earn an average salary of $101,610, with specialized branches like IT, construction, and architecture offering varying salary ranges. Obtaining a PMP certification and gaining experience can contribute to higher salaries in project management.

Wondering about project manager salaries and how much you can make as a PM?

We’ve got all the details.

Each job title available to you after receiving a project management certification comes with a different set of upsides. Salaries and job outlook are two biggies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average project manager salary comes in at $101,610. But this isn’t all there is to know.

Interested in learning more about how much you can earn? Keep reading to learn more about project management salaries for different job titles, how hourly wages (cash compensation), and how the job title project manager and education can affect project manager salaries.

Specialized Branches

You probably came to this article looking for the average project manager salary or the most common project manager salary. Although we plan to cover these average base salary stats, we’ll first look at alternate job titles and specialties that can increase average total compensation.

Here are three project manager specializations to consider if you’ve been wondering how much does a project manager make?

IT Project Manager Salary

Anyone interested in applying their project management knowledge to IT may be in luck. There’s currently a great deal of work for IT project managers. In fact, the job outlook for this position is expected to grow 16% in the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salaries are also good for people in this position. Payscale reports that IT project managers make an average of $90k a year. Additionally, the best paying cities for this career are Washington DC, New York City, and Houston, Texas. On top of this average salary, additional cash compensation is often a bonus for project manager professionals that do exceptionally well.

“IT project managers working with technology make an average of $91k a year. Additionally, the best paying cities for this career are Washington DC, New York City, and Houston, Texas.”

Construction Project Manager Salary

Another project management specialization is in the construction field. The job outlook for construction project managers is comparable to the other branches of project management. Employment of construction project managers is expected to grow by 8% by 2030— which is faster than in other areas.

Salaries for construction project managers are slightly lower compared to other fields. Currently, their average annual salary, according to Payscale, is $78,090. High-paying positions can be more easily found in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Although this yearly salary might be a little lower than the base salary in other project manager-reported sectors, this is an area where more opportunities can be found. Average additional cash compensation on project tasks can mean more money for construction-based project management professionals.

Architectural Project Manager Salary

Architectural project management is the one area where the job market is below average. The BLS currently reports their expected employment growth to only be 2%. Clearly, it won’t be as easy to break into this field compared to the others, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider projects, companies, and employers, looking for architectural team members.

Salaries for architectural project managers are fairly similar to construction management. This is likely due to the large amount of overlap between the two fields. Zip Recruiter currently reports architectural project managers’ average annual project manager salaries as 90k a year. Keep in mind that a project manager reported $133,500 to Zip Recruiter, so depending on company size, people hired, years of experience, education, and other factors, a higher salary can be earned in this field.

Many of the highest-paying cities for architectural project managers are in California, including San Mateo, Berkeley, and Richmond. So, if you want to live on the coast— it may be worth moving for higher pay, but you need to consider the cost of living in these areas as well.

““Many of the highest paying cities for architectural project managers are in California, including San Mateo, Berkeley, and Richmond. So, you want to live on the coast— it may be worth moving for higher pay, but you need to consider the cost of living in these areas as well.”

Entry Level Project Manager Salary

Now that you know about some of the specialized branches, it’s time to switch gears to more general information. This information serves as a great baseline to use when looking at salaries for project management branches that don’t have as much information online.

Those just starting out as project managers won’t make as much compared to people with more experience under their belts. Glassdoor states that the national average salary for entry level project management positions is $64,580 each year.

Although this might seem low when compared to the average project manager salary listed for those with project management experience, the salary for a project with additional cash compensation can boost up to almost 20k, according to this same data.

Another way that project manager employees can beef up their base pay is through education. PMP certification programs combined with years of experience can not only help you snag a new job title but also a better salary for a project.

Senior Project Manager Salary

The last step of your career path will be working as a senior project manager. By this point, you likely have over a decade of experience and a position that matches your skills. This quite naturally comes with a much higher annual salary compared to your earlier project manager positions.

Anyone working as a senior project manager can expect an average yearly wage of over $100k a year. In fact, Payscale reports that the average salary for this position is $104,496 a year ($61.58 per hour). Although some might want to remain anonymous, project manager employees consistently report high salaries to Payscale and other salary tracking sites.

“The last step of your career path will be working as a senior project manager. By this point you likely have over a decade of experience and a position that matches your skills. This quite naturally comes with a much higher annual salary compared to your earlier project manager positions.“

Final Thoughts

This article provides insights into project manager salaries and explores different job titles and specializations within project management. The average project manager salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $101,610.

Specialized branches such as IT project management, construction project management, and architectural project management offer varying salary ranges. IT project managers, on average, make around $90,000 per year, while construction project managers earn an average annual salary of $78,090. Architectural project managers have similar salaries to construction management.

Entry-level project managers can expect a national average salary of $64,580, while senior project managers earn over $100,000 per year. Obtaining a PMP certification and gaining experience can help boost project manager salaries.

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Project Manager Salary FAQs

Q: Can you make 100k as a project manager?

A: Yes! You certainly can, so long as you gather enough work experience. Senior project managers tend to make over $100k a year on average, but that number can be even higher depending on your experience level and where you live.

Q: Do you need a degree to become a project manager?

A: You don’t need a 4-year degree to become a project manager, but having one makes the process much faster and easier. Anyone interested in earning their Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) must typically complete a 4-year degree and 3 years of work experience. However, those without a degree can instead apply with 5 years of work experience and CAPM certification.

Q: What is the highest-paying project management job?

A: This largely depends on where you live, but typically the best-paying position for project managers is senior project manager. People in this position earn over $100k each year.

Q: How do I become a project manager?

A: The easiest way to become a project manager is to earn your PMP certification. You must complete a 4-year degree and 3 years of work experience to get your PMP certification. After that, you need to apply for and pass the PMP exam. Additionally, keep in mind that you’ll need to complete continuing education requirements every 3 years.

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