The 25 U.S. Metro Areas Where Project Management Specialists Earn the Most
What is a project management specialist, and what do project management specialists do? A project management specialist is a professional who is responsible for all facets of a project from beginning to end. Project management specialist responsibilities include creating and maintaining project schedules, managing project budgets, scheduling meetings, identifying risks, overseeing decision-making, and acquiring talent.
Where do project managers get paid the most? Project management can be a profitable and rewarding occupation, but as with all jobs, the compensation varies across regions. The team at FinancialForce analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a resource to help highlight the locations where project management specialists get paid the most:
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How Much Do Project Managers Make?
Is project management a good career? It certainly can be! The average project management specialist salary range in the United States, according to Salary.com, is $65,567 to $77,401.
Here are the top ten cities where project managers make the most in the United States:
- San Jose, California, project manager salary: $133,950 annual mean wage
- Birmingham, Alabama, project manager salary: $130,250 annual mean wage
- Seattle, Washington, project manager salary: $125,330 annual mean wage
- San Francisco, California, project manager salary: $124,430 annual mean wage
- New York, New York, project manager salary: $116,230 annual mean wage
- Washington, D.C., project manager salary: $114,540 annual mean wage
- Boulder, Colorado, project manager salary: $110,130 annual mean wage
- Western Wyoming project manager salary: $109,490 annual mean wage
- Decatur, Illinois, project manager salary: $109,190 annual mean wage
- Durham, North Carolina, project manager salary: $109,180 annual mean wage
Is project management a high-paying career? You may be surprised how much project managers make in many U.S. states! Here are the top ten states where project managers make the most:
- New Mexico project manager salary: $123,160 annual mean wage
- Washington project manager salary: $120,800 annual mean wage
- New York project manager salary: $111,890 annual mean wage
- New Jersey project manager salary: $111,460 annual mean wage
- Virginia project manager salary: $109,980 annual mean wage
- Alabama project manager salary: $109,100 annual mean wage
- California project manager salary: $108,990 annual mean wage
- Delaware project manager salary: $106,930 annual mean wage
- Massachusetts project manager salary: $106,690 annual mean wage
- Illinois project manager salary: $104,520 annual mean wage
What Is the Difference Between a Project Management Specialist and a Project Manager?
These terms are often interchangeable. Both occupations organize, plan, and execute projects while complying with restrictions such as budgets and schedules. A project management specialist may be more specialized or experienced in specific management practices, but generally, the two titles are used for the same responsibilities. Both project management specialist skills and project manager skills include leadership, communication, time management, negotiating, critical thinking, multitasking, and interpersonal skills.
What Are the Project Management Specialist Education Requirements?
What kind of education does a project manager need? According to Herzing University, the education needed to be a project management specialist is a bachelor’s degree. However, becoming a Certified Associate in Project Management can help “distinguish you in the job market and enhance your credibility and effectiveness working on — or with — project teams,” according to the Project Management Institute. Is it worth getting a CAPM? As a credential to prepare candidates for entry-level project management positions, it can certainly help you stand out from the pack and help accelerate a successful project management career.
The 50 Metropolitan Areas Where Project Management Specialists Earn the Highest Mean Annual Wage
| Area name | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $133,950 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $130,250 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $125,330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $124,430 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $116,230 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $114,540 |
| Boulder, CO | $110,130 |
| Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $109,490 |
| Decatur, IL | $109,190 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $109,180 |
| Huntsville, AL | $108,730 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $108,010 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $107,150 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $107,000 |
| California-Lexington Park, MD | $106,950 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $106,880 |
| Peoria, IL | $106,820 |
| Midland, TX | $106,290 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | $106,060 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $105,620 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA | $104,270 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $103,650 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $103,650 |
| Trenton, NJ | $103,490 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA | $103,470 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $103,350 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $103,300 |
| Raleigh, NC | $103,210 |
| Columbus, IN | $103,180 |
| Ithaca, NY | $102,950 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $102,910 |
| Wenatchee, WA | $102,500 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $102,120 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $102,100 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $101,830 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $101,680 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $101,600 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $101,410 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $100,930 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $100,320 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $99,970 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $99,860 |
| Kankakee, IL | $99,680 |
| Napa, CA | $99,650 |
| Victoria, TX | $99,430 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | $99,170 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $99,080 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $98,490 |
| Elmira, NY | $98,400 |
| Dover, DE | $98,300 |
Project Management Specialist Mean Annual Wage by State
| Area name | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | $123,160 |
| Washington | $120,800 |
| New York | $111,890 |
| New Jersey | $111,460 |
| Virginia | $109,980 |
| Alabama | $109,100 |
| California | $108,990 |
| District of Columbia | $107,610 |
| Delaware | $106,930 |
| Massachusetts | $106,690 |
| Illinois | $104,520 |
| Rhode Island | $103,090 |
| Connecticut | $100,040 |
| North Carolina | $98,970 |
| Georgia | $98,500 |
| Colorado | $98,410 |
| Maryland | $97,700 |
| Texas | $97,290 |
| Wyoming | $96,130 |
| Alaska | $94,900 |
| Minnesota | $94,750 |
| Wisconsin | $93,110 |
| New Hampshire | $92,350 |
| Florida | $91,540 |
| Oregon | $90,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $90,340 |
| Michigan | $90,200 |
| Missouri | $88,150 |
| South Carolina | $88,150 |
| Arizona | $87,790 |
| Iowa | $87,260 |
| Utah | $87,220 |
| Oklahoma | $86,510 |
| Ohio | $85,740 |
| Nebraska | $85,030 |
| Nevada | $83,660 |
| Idaho | $83,320 |
| North Dakota | $83,320 |
| Mississippi | $82,630 |
| Louisiana | $82,470 |
| Maine | $82,370 |
| Kansas | $82,300 |
| Kentucky | $82,160 |
| Indiana | $81,750 |
| Vermont | $80,550 |
| Tennessee | $80,430 |
| Hawaii | $77,390 |
| West Virginia | $76,400 |
| Montana | $76,360 |
| South Dakota | $73,000 |
| Arkansas | $72,160 |
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