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 Certinia 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:

  1. San Jose, California, project manager salary: $133,950 annual mean wage
  2. Birmingham, Alabama, project manager salary: $130,250 annual mean wage
  3. Seattle, Washington, project manager salary: $125,330 annual mean wage
  4. San Francisco, California, project manager salary: $124,430 annual mean wage
  5. New York, New York, project manager salary: $116,230 annual mean wage
  6. Washington, D.C., project manager salary: $114,540 annual mean wage
  7. Boulder, Colorado, project manager salary: $110,130 annual mean wage
  8. Western Wyoming project manager salary: $109,490 annual mean wage
  9. Decatur, Illinois, project manager salary: $109,190 annual mean wage
  10. 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:

  1. New Mexico project manager salary: $123,160 annual mean wage
  2. Washington project manager salary: $120,800 annual mean wage
  3. New York project manager salary: $111,890 annual mean wage
  4. New Jersey project manager salary: $111,460 annual mean wage
  5. Virginia project manager salary: $109,980 annual mean wage
  6. Alabama project manager salary: $109,100 annual mean wage
  7. California project manager salary: $108,990 annual mean wage
  8. Delaware project manager salary: $106,930 annual mean wage
  9. Massachusetts project manager salary: $106,690 annual mean wage
  10. 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 nameAnnual 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 nameAnnual 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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