State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Project Management Specialist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Project Management Specialists is $102,320 a year ($49.19/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.6% through 2034, with about 78,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 13-1082Business and Financial OperationsLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $102,320
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- Openings a year
- 78,200
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
How much do Project Management Specialists make?
10th percentile$61,580
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$78,440
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$102,320
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$133,100
Upper quartile
90th percentile$167,970
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $102,320 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $49.19/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $110,740 |
| People employed | 1,066,670 |
Versus all US occupations
At $102,320, Project Management Specialists earn 101% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $51,340 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 27% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $167,970 or more while the bottom 10% earn $61,580, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 80% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($124,160), but once local prices are taken into account Delaware leads at $122,425 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Project Management Specialists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $124,160 | $116,023 | 36,240 |
| New Jersey | $122,980 | $113,028 | 28,300 |
| Delaware | $122,190 | $122,425 | 1,770 |
| New York | $121,040 | $112,156 | 68,020 |
| California | $120,910 | $109,203 | 114,380 |
| Virginia | $120,840 | $119,520 | 43,860 |
| Massachusetts | $114,190 | $107,974 | 21,960 |
| Colorado | $110,050 | $106,791 | 32,390 |
| New Mexico | $106,970 | $116,004 | 4,330 |
| Oregon | $105,480 | $102,050 | 19,380 |
Is Project Management Specialist a growing career?
Project Management Specialists5.6%
All US occupations3.1%
+5.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Project Management Specialists to change 5.6% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 58,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 78,200 openings are projected each year, 7.5% of the 1,046,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
As organizations seek ways to maintain and improve productivity, employment of project management specialists is expected to increase. These specialists will be needed to help manage various business operations, ensuring that projects meet their goals and are completed on time and within budget. In addition, demand for project management specialists will likely stem from the need to manage the growing volume and complexity of information technology (IT) projects.
How to become a Project Management Specialist
Project management specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree that may be in a variety of fields, including business or project management. Although not always required, certification may be beneficial.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What does a Project Management Specialist do?
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.
Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, and other details of a project. They lead and guide the work of technical staff. Project management specialists also may serve as a point of contact for the client or customer.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where project management specialists work
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 28% |
|---|---|
| Construction | 21% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Administrative and support services | 5% |
| Finance and insurance | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Project Management Specialist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.5
Investigative2.8
Artistic1.6
Socialprimary3.3
Enterprisingprimary6.3
Conventionalprimary5.5
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Project Management Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Project Management Specialists make?
Project Management Specialists earn a median of $102,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 101% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $49.19/hr. The middle half earn between $78,440 and $133,100. The top 10% earn $167,970 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Project Management Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Project Management Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Project Management Specialist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.6% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 78,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Project Management Specialist do?
Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, and other details of a project. A core O*NET task: assign duties or responsibilities to project personnel. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Application server software.
Which states pay Project Management Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Project Management Specialists are Washington ($124,160), New Jersey ($122,980), Delaware ($122,190) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Delaware moves to the top at $122,425.
What personality type suits a Project Management Specialist?
O*NET scores Project Management Specialists highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.