Project Manager
Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project.
What the job is
- The work
- Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project.
BLS
Project Management Specialists — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Work environment
- Project management specialists usually work in an office setting, but they occasionally travel to visit clients. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
BLS
Project Management Specialists — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Good fit for
- Organized people who like planning, deadlines, budgets and keeping a team on track.
- Career cluster
- Management & Entrepreneurship
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025 (project management specialists).
- Median pay
- $102,320 a year ($49.19 an hour)
BLS
Project Management Specialists — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 1,094,300
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Training after hire
- None
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +7%, which BLS calls "much faster than average"
BLS
Project Management Specialists — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +73,200 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
How to become one
- The usual route
- 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.
BLS
Project Management Specialists — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- In short
- Project management specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in business, project management or a related field; some employers prefer a technical degree for their industry. Certification is not always required but may be beneficial: PMI's CAPM needs no experience, the PMP needs 2 to 5 years of it.
- License
- None
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
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Step-by-step roadmap
The routes step by step, the exam gates and the state license step are on one page.
Project management specialist: bachelor's degree, experience, optional CAPM or PMP
See the roadmap
Route 1: Degree → related job → small projects → large projects · Route 2: CAPM: the entry certification, no experience needed · Route 3: PMP: experience + 35 hours of training + exam
More careers in Management & Entrepreneurship
Open the cluster hubEvery career page in this cluster, with entry, license, pay and outlook side by side.
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 20 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses.