Project Management Careers
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The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that the global industry will need 25 million new project management professionals to meet talent demands by 2030. This means that each year, 2.3 million people will need to enter the project management profession for the next six years to keep up with demand.
Project managers work with various teams to ensure projects are completed within budget and on time while meeting high-quality standards. From engineering to aerospace, these professionals work in various industries to plan, organize, and oversee the completion of complex projects.
If this type of work interests you, you can earn a project management certificate, complete your education in an online project management program, or enroll in a microlearning course.
Read on to learn more about which industries use project managers, how to become a project manager, and the different types of roles you can pursue.
Is Project Management a Good Career?
Project management is an excellent career path that offers the flexibility of remote and hybrid work. Plus, every industry needs project managers: construction, government, healthcare, and many other industries hire project managers to make sure their teams run projects smoothly and complete them on time.
The field even uses artificial intelligence (AI). In 2019, Gartner reported that AI and machine learning (ML) will assume 80% of project management tasks by 2030, influencing nearly every part of project management. However, this doesn’t mean project management careers will disappear.
On the contrary, project managers have a great career outlook. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the job outlook for project management specialists, who earn a median salary of $98,580 per year, is 7%.
This rising technology and its use in the project management space means project managers will have to shift their attention from administrative work and focus on building strategic, leadership, and business skills, as well as a solid comprehension of AI and ML technologies.
| Job | Job Description | Typical Entry-Level Education | Job Outlook (2023-2033) | Median Salary (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Management Specialist | Coordinates projects, manages budgets, and schedules meetings | Bachelor’s | 7% | $98,580 |
| Construction Manager | Oversees building projects from beginning to end | Bachelor’s | 9% | $104,900 |
| Logistician | Manages supply chains and oversees entire lifecycle of clients’ products | Bachelor’s | 19% | $79,400 |
| Health Services Manager | Oversees department of healthcare facilities or the entire facility and implements policies to enhance efficiency | Bachelor’s | 29% | $110,680 |
| Operations Manager | Makes sure organizations are running efficiently, helps manage budgets and employees to cut costs and increase productivity | Bachelor’s | 3% | $116,970 |
| Architectural and Engineering Manager | Oversees engineering projects, coordinates production, and prepares budgets | Bachelor’s | 6% | $165,370 |
| State | Employment | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 209,160 | $40.09 | $83,390 |
| Texas | 117,990 | $39.78 | $82,750 |
| Florida | 86,800 | $33.16 | $68,970 |
| Illinois | 52,030 | $38.45 | $79,970 |
| Colorado | 50,930 | $42.00 | $87,360 |
| State | Employment | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 36,840 | $49.39 | $102,720 |
| Maryland | 29,930 | $45.56 | $94,770 |
| Virginia | 36,920 | $44.39 | $92,320 |
| New York | 49,010 | $44.26 | $92,060 |
| Massachusetts | 22,420 | $44.10 | $91,730 |
Project Management Career Industries
Engineering
Engineers rely on project managers to ensure that they can complete their complex and expensive projects on time and within budget. Project managers are also responsible for ensuring each project meets quality standards. This means processes follow regulatory and legal requirements.
Project managers in engineering can use technical language so they’re able to communicate with engineers to plan, budget, schedule, manage teams, and supervise their work. These professionals use Agile, Waterfall, and Scrum, among other project management methodologies, to complete engineering projects.
Construction
Construction project managers work with architects, laborers, engineers, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure projects are completed on time, according to plan, and within budget.
They allocate resources such as construction materials and money, assess and manage risks to maintain safety of the building, and keep track of the costs of resources. Other responsibilities include planning and coordinating the development of new processes and creating detailed project plans.
Aerospace
Aerospace project managers are the point of contact between teams, management, and clients. They are aerospace and defense professionals who coordinate and oversee complex projects for space and commercial airlines.
One aspect of their job is to use their technical knowledge of aerospace systems and skills in project management software to improve processes and eliminate waste to reduce costs.
Aerospace project managers coordinate across departments to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, all while meeting technical specifications. These professionals carry deep technical knowledge and management expertise.
Marketing
Marketing managers oversee marketing campaigns. While supervising both the marketers and the projects, marketing project managers oversee kickoff events. They also oversee the launch of products and marketing campaigns from beginning to end.
Software Development
Software project managers work with software engineers so that projects are completed on time and to specification. These professionals organize software projects and assign tasks to different software teams. Using their technical and leadership skills, software project managers work with engineering teams to help deliver quality software projects, often leading the production of software products.
Popular Online Project Management Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
What Is a Project Manager Salary?
Project managers earn healthy salaries. In entry-level roles, you can earn anywhere from $59,000 annually as a construction project manager to $74,000 each year as a pharmaceutical project manager, according to Payscale.
A career in project management also offers growth opportunities. After 5-9 years, you can earn close to $100,000 or more. More experienced project managers can earn between $83,000 as a healthcare program manager and up to $136,000 as a consulting project manager.
As you can see, project management crosses many industries. You can work as a marketing project manager, earning between $51,000 to $90,000 each year, or as an energy project manager, earning between $60,000 and $97,000 annually.
As you advance, you can move into an executive role that offers the highest pay and levels of responsibility. These include project management director roles, where you can earn $129,350 annually, and chief operating officer roles, which pay around $148,360 each year.
| Job | Phase II of Career | Phase III of Career |
|---|---|---|
| Project Manager Avg. Salary: $80,370 | Operations Manager Avg. Salary: $73,260 | Director of Operations |
| General/Operations Manager Avg. Salary: $72,780 | ||
| Sr. Project Manager, Operations Avg. Salary: $107,270 | Director of Operations | |
| Project Manager Director Avg. Salary: $129,350 | ||
| Director of Operations Avg. Salary: $102,140 | Vice President, Operations Avg. Salary: $142,150 | |
| Executive Director Avg. Salary: $89,300 | ||
| Chief Operating Officer Avg. Salary: $148,360 |
| Job | Entry Level (less than a year) | Mid-Career (5-9 years) | Experienced (20+ years) | Average Salary (Sept. 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Project Manager | $59,000 | $86,000 | $97,000 | $82,940 |
| IT Project Manager | $66,000 | $97,000 | $118,000 | $94,560 |
| Engineering Project Manager | $72,000 | $99,000 | $124,000 | $102,010 |
| Marketing Project Manager | $51,000 | $76,000 | $90,000 | $72,020 |
| Healthcare Program Manager | $59,000 | $90,000 | $83,000 | $81,900 |
| Software Development Program Manager | $65,000 | $94,000 | $118,000 | $95,100 |
| Pharmaceutical Project Manager | $74,000 | $102,000 | $128,000 | $99,290 |
| Energy Project Manager | $60,000 | $82,000 | $97,000 | $62,570 |
| Consulting Project Manager | $65,000 | $93,000 | $136,000 | $93,080 |
How to Start a Career in Project Management
To begin a career in project management, you can pursue a college degree in project management, business, computer science, or engineering. You can also search for project management bootcamps and certificate programs.
Hiring managers across industries recognize the project management professional (PMP) certificate, which you can earn online through programs such as Cornell’s Certificate Program, the Project Management Institute, and the Simplilearn learning platform. You’ll need to learn Agile methodologies and frameworks (Kanban, Scrum, Nexus, Agile, etc.) and project management fundamentals.
Ultimately, what matters most are skills and experience, so find opportunities to gain hands-on experience through internships.
Frequently Asked Questions About Project Management Careers
Project management is a deadline-driven, high-performance role, so it can be stressful. You may find yourself stressed about deliverables and interacting with internal teams and clients.
On the other hand, if you’re skilled at meeting deadlines and you enjoy conversing with key stakeholders as well as planning, scheduling, and coordinating teams, then you should find that the job is manageable despite any stress you might experience.
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