Project Management Specialists: Job Description
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.
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The Daily Work of Project Management Specialists Do?
The core tasks performed by project management specialists cover:
- Assign duties or responsibilities to project personnel.
- Communicate with key stakeholders to determine project requirements and objectives.
- Confer with project personnel to identify and resolve problems.
- Create project status presentations for delivery to customers or project personnel.
- Develop or update project plans including information such as objectives, technologies, schedules, funding, and staffing.
- Identify project needs such as resources, staff, or finances by reviewing project objectives and schedules.
- Identify, review, or select vendors or consultants to meet project needs.
- Monitor costs incurred by project staff to identify budget issues.
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Design Project Management Specialist
- Grant Assistant
- Human Resources Project Manager (HR Project Manager)
- Implementation Project Manager
- Implementations Management Specialist
- Movie Project Management Specialist
- Planning Development Specialist
- Project Administrator
Job Outlook
There are roughly 70,422 project management specialists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.8% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Project Management Specialists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $64,559 |
| Hourly median | $31.04 |
| 10th percentile | $44,569 |
| 25th percentile | $54,564 |
| 75th percentile | $74,554 |
| 90th percentile | $84,549 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Project Management Specialists Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $117,030 |
| Virginia | $114,990 |
| Delaware | $114,310 |
| New Jersey | $113,320 |
| California | $111,300 |
| New York | $110,490 |
| Massachusetts | $108,630 |
| Colorado | $106,960 |
| Alaska | $105,360 |
| Connecticut | $104,990 |
| Maryland | $103,570 |
| District of Columbia | $103,190 |
| New Mexico | $102,940 |
| Rhode Island | $102,830 |
| Illinois | $102,490 |
| Georgia | $100,860 |
| Oregon | $100,000 |
| Michigan | $99,790 |
| North Carolina | $99,580 |
| Arizona | $98,400 |
| Minnesota | $97,890 |
| Alabama | $97,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,280 |
| Florida | $96,980 |
| Ohio | $96,890 |
| Nevada | $96,370 |
| Wyoming | $95,730 |
| Utah | $95,470 |
| Texas | $93,880 |
| Indiana | $92,790 |
| South Carolina | $91,010 |
| Vermont | $89,990 |
| North Dakota | $89,660 |
| New Hampshire | $89,500 |
| Missouri | $88,770 |
| Wisconsin | $88,020 |
| Kansas | $86,330 |
| Maine | $85,420 |
| Montana | $85,140 |
| Iowa | $85,000 |
| Tennessee | $84,800 |
| Oklahoma | $84,750 |
| West Virginia | $82,950 |
| Louisiana | $82,400 |
| Idaho | $82,390 |
| Arkansas | $81,970 |
| South Dakota | $81,790 |
| Kentucky | $81,060 |
| Hawaii | $80,220 |
| Nebraska | $78,790 |
| Virgin Islands | $78,180 |
| Mississippi | $77,500 |
| Guam | $61,400 |
| Puerto Rico | $59,990 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for project management specialists shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $110,339 | 17.7% | 1.12 |
| Middle Atlantic | $106,745 | 16.9% | 1.18 |
| New England | $103,626 | 3.8% | 0.81 |
| Rocky Mountains | $100,166 | 5.6% | 1.46 |
| Southeast | $98,191 | 23.6% | 1.09 |
| Great Lakes | $96,728 | 11.2% | 0.83 |
| Southwest | $94,351 | 15.4% | 1.23 |
| Plains States | $90,465 | 5.4% | 0.87 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $136,250 | 9,630 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $132,530 | 21,650 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $125,960 | 2,540 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $125,390 | 26,620 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $123,670 | 42,740 |
| Huntsville, AL | AL | $122,430 | 700 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $121,680 | 66,550 |
| Dothan, AL | AL | $120,630 | 40 |
Which Industries Hire Project Management Specialists
The bulk of project management specialists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 294,870 | $106,130 |
| Construction | 218,160 | $96,700 |
| Manufacturing | 76,720 | $101,920 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 62,970 | $95,950 |
| Information | 50,310 | $109,740 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 48,900 | $114,660 |
| Wholesale Trade | 45,430 | $96,270 |
| Finance and Insurance | 41,690 | $111,350 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Asana (hot technology)
- Project management software: Atlassian Confluence (hot technology)
- Content workflow software: Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- File versioning software: Git (hot technology)
- Application server software: GitHub (hot technology)
How to Become Project Management Specialists
This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Primary-Short)
- Training and Development Managers (Primary-Long)
- Construction Managers (Primary-Long)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (Supplemental)
- Natural Sciences Managers (Supplemental)
- Logisticians (Primary-Short)
- Logistics Engineers (Supplemental)
- Logistics Analysts (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Students preparing for project management specialists often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
5 programs across 3 majors
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1082.00 (Project Management Specialists).
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