Project Manager Salary

A successful project manager is expected to manage the resources, time, money and scope of the given project. His decisions and actions should lead to increased profits for the company. He is the one who is held responsible for the successful completion of a project, within the given time frame. A project manager job description provides information on project manager duties and responsibilities along with project manager salary range. The salary may vary according to the field, for example, a project manager (IT) may earn more than a project manager (construction).

Project manager responsibilities usually include team building, appointing reporting heads, assigning work to every member of the team, efficiently coordinating with various departments like accounts, marketing, etc., finding errors in the methods employed, correcting them, and achieving the targets within given time. While doing this, he has to be in touch with the clients and inform them about the work finished. Thus effective leadership is a significant part of project management.

A project manager is required in all types of industries such as, construction, information technology, architecture, telecommunication and other infrastructural projects. The nature of work might vary from industry to industry but project management always implies planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. 'Relevant educational qualification' and 'leadership qualities' are the two significant aspects of the personality of a successful project manager. The salary of a project manager may vary according to the qualification, experience, location, type of industry, how big is the company, etc. You need to prove that you have excellent management skills to coordinate with the entire team, clients and stakeholders. Let us take a look at the salary range now.

Salary of a Project Manager

According to the available statistics, project manager salary range is $86,812 to $110,887. The average entry-level annual income of a project manager in the United States is around $52,000. Those with 1-4 years of experience can expect to make about $60,000 a year. Individuals with 4-5 years of experience may get about $98,000 per year. The salary range for management jobs varies according to the size, type of the industry, location, employee credentials, years of experience and certain other related factors.

If your entry-level job is at New York, you might get a salary of around $93,000 a year, compared to those in Atlanta where you may get about $75,000 a year. Again, this might vary according to the size of the company and years of experience. But you should keep it in mind that the cost of living in New York is higher than the cost of living in Atlanta.

Project managers employed by the government may enjoy a salary of about $86,000 a year while those who are employed by a fellowship may get an average salary of about $60,000 a year. That's quite a big difference in income. Project managers jobs in the IT, software development, and engineering fields are considered as the highest paying jobs and you can expect to have the highest paychecks, averaging at about $98,000 a year.

An IT program manager may get about $110,000 per year, while an infrastructure project manager may get about $104,000 per year. A senior project manager (SAP) may earn $132,000; while a junior project manager (SAP) may earn $98,000 only.

Boost Income Potential

Changing companies, industries, or moving may help boost your income potential. One of the best ways to boost your income is to enroll in a project management certification program. For example, those who hold a Six Sigma Green Belt, can try to get Black Belt certification. You can also opt for a Master's Degree in Technology Project Management. If you are interested in making career in this field, take time and get those certifications. CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) certification helps get significantly high salary.

In this 21st century, there is an all-time high demand for expert project managers as companies need to focus on higher productivity with minimum resources. Simultaneously, they need to concentrate on 'greater customer satisfaction' too. So a project manager salary has no constrains as far as he/she is able to fetch profits for the company. If you prefer working with people, if you wish to hone your communications skills, if you are a dedicated person, and if you are an expert in managing projects from start to finish, then there are lots of opportunities awaiting you in project management.