Business and finance
Project manager
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.
Median pay
$102,320
Growth to 2035
+7%
faster than average
Openings a year
76,500
Time to qualify*
1.8 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Project manager
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
- Required
- No license; PMP (needs 36 months leading projects) helps
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Project manager: 33% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Fiber Project Manager · Implementation Project Manager · Project Management Consultant
Outlook and AI
Project managers held 1,094,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 1,167,400 by 2035 (+7%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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