When considering any career, one of the most important questions to ask is, what is the average salary?
Project Management is a great career path with plenty of room for growth, not only in the field, but salary growth as well.
Project Managers manage complex projects and teams and make sure that projects are seen through to successful completion. Project Managers fill a huge role within an organization, and thankfully, their hard work pays off with generous salaries at each skill level.
Project Manager salaries vary depending on where you live but a study from ProjectManager.com showed that project managers earn the most in Australia with United States being the third highest earners in this field.
The average salary for project managers overall sits right around $90,000 – $100,000 annually.
Let’s look at the median salary range for Project Managers at each level of experience from entry to senior level.
These numbers will vary depending on where you live, but these are overall average salaries taken from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics:
Entry Level Project Manager Salary:
The average Annual entry level project manager salary is: $70,000 – $85,000 per Year
If you are right out of college or have 1-4 years experience, you are considered an entry level project manager.
You have led a few successful projects and have proven that you have what it takes to be a project manager. Most likely, you already have plenty of management experience and/or combination of education and experience.
Intermediate Project Manager Salary:
Intermediate project managers make an average annual salary of $85,000 – $100,000 per Year
With 4-6+ years of experience and education, intermediate PM’s have already proven that they are able to successfully complete a variety of large projects.
They outshine their peers and team members time and time again to take on a more lead role in the organization.
At this point, many Intermediate PM’s will go back to school for MBA’s or to become PMP certified and take their career to the next level.
Director/Senior Project Manager Salary:
With 10+ years of experience, MBA’s and PMP’s under their belts, these executive level managers make an annual salary of $100,000 – $130,000+.
The top of the food chain in the Project Management world are the Directors and Senior level PM’s.
If you reach a Director or Senior Project Manager position, you have been in charge of many different projects, including large, complex projects with large budgets and teams.
You have a winning track record for successfully driving projects to completion and have more than earned this salary.
Between 2010 and 2020, Project Managers saw a growth rate in salary of more than 12% and up to 16% more for those who became PMP Certified.
This means that the Project Management field is growing, in high demand, and more and more project managers are getting certified and taking their careers to the next level.
Nearly every industry needs project managers which makes this a great career choice for those that have the proper skills and personalities to lead and manger large teams and projects.
