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Project Management

Types of Degrees Project Management Majors Are Earning

Those studying Project Management may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	108
Associate’s Degree	50
Bachelor’s Degree	960
Master’s Degree	3,427
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Project Management Majors Need to Know

Studies in Project Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Project Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Project Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Project Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Project Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Project Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Project Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Project Management graduates include:

• Project Coordinator
• Project Administrator
• Project Manager
• Compliance Director
• Dance Studio Manager
• Watermaster
• Lottery Manager
• Digital Project Manager
• Extension Work Director
• Barber or Beauty Shop Manager
• Art Coordinator
• Stations Relations Contact Representative
• Highway Patrol Commander
• Consul
• Call Center Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Project Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	53.9%
Doctoral degree	10.5%
Master’s degree	9.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.4%
Postsecondary certificate	4.2%
Some college courses	3.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Project Management?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 49.2% women and 50.8% men among Project Management graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,354	49.2%
Men	2,430	50.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Project Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,167	45.3%
Asian	197	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	678	14.2%
Black or African American	656	13.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	44	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	29	0.6%
Two or More Races	182	3.8%
Race Unknown	674	14.1%
International Students	157	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Project Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Project Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,537
4 years	$63,883
5 years	$71,749

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $71,749 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Project Management Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Project Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	0
Bachelor’s	23	10
Master’s	49	14
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Project Management Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Project Management graduates earn a median of $63,883 four years after completion — roughly 68% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Business Administration, Management and Operations	52.02
Business Administration and Management, General	52.0201
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other	52.0299
Customer Service Management	52.0207
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce	52.0208
Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management	52.0203
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management	52.0206
Office Management and Supervision	52.0204
Operations Management and Supervision	52.0205
Organizational Leadership	52.0213
Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management	52.0202
Research Administration	52.0214

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.