Occupation · SOC 13-1082
Project Management Specialists
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.
Median wage
$100,750
$59,830–$165,790
Projected growth
+5.6%
Average growth
Annual openings
5,870
per year
Employed (US)
1,006,160
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
2,754 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingActive Learning
Knowledge areas
English LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceMathematicsAdministration and ManagementComputers and Electronics
Technology & tools
Word processing softwareDocument management softwareDesktop publishing softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHuman resources software
Representative 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.Monitor project milestones and deliverables.Monitor the performance of project team members to provide performance feedback.Negotiate with project stakeholders or suppliers to obtain resources or materials.Plan, schedule, or coordinate project activities to meet deadlines.Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.Produce and distribute project documents.Propose, review, or approve modifications to project plans.Recruit or hire project personnel.Report project status, such as budget, resources, technical issues, or customer satisfaction, to managers.Request and review project updates to ensure deadlines are met.Schedule or facilitate project meetings.Submit project deliverables to clients, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Project plans, timelines, and Gantt charts — produce in MS Project, Asana, or Jira under a senior PM's review.Status reports for routine projects — compile from team inputs on a weekly cadence.Project budgets and burn-rate tracking — maintain accurately for a defined scope.RAID logs (risks, actions, issues, decisions) — keep current across project life.Stakeholder rosters and RACI matrices — produce for assigned projects.Project meetings — schedule, run-of-show, take notes, and circulate.Change-request paperwork — log and route through governance.Common project-management tools — use to team conventions across the PMO.PM-methodology fundamentals (PMBOK, Agile-Scrum, Kanban) — apply correctly on assigned engagements.Resource-allocation tracking and capacity views — maintain for the assigned PM portfolio.
developing
A small project (6-12 weeks, single team, defined scope) — own end-to-end with senior backstop.Project planning from a charter — produce a realistic plan + budget + resource model.Stakeholder management on a routine project — communicate effectively at multiple levels.Risk identification and mitigation planning — execute substantively across the project life.Project closeout and lessons-learned — facilitate at end of engagement.Cross-functional team coordination — drive accountability across disciplines.Vendor and contractor management — execute on routine engagement components.PM-tool administration (Jira workflows, Asana templates, MS Project files) — manage at project level.Junior PMs and coordinators — guide on technique and process.Status and steering-committee presentations — deliver credibly on owned projects.
proficient
Mid-complexity project portfolio — manage 3-5 concurrent projects across multiple teams.Difficult-stakeholder management — handle politically charged or distressed-project contexts.Project recovery and turnaround — diagnose and execute on troubled projects.Methodology selection and tailoring — apply waterfall / agile / hybrid appropriately to the project context.PM-team mentorship — provide formally and informally across the practice.PMO governance and reporting — contribute substantively to portfolio-level practice.Resource-conflict resolution across functions — negotiate at director and VP level.Vendor and SOW negotiation — execute with procurement on six-figure engagements.Program-level cross-project dependencies — identify and manage across owned portfolio.Quality and acceptance criteria — own across deliverables and through user-acceptance.
advanced
Multi-million-dollar programs or critical strategic initiatives — own as program manager with executive sponsorship.Program portfolio governance — set practice across multi-quarter cycles.Hiring, leveling, and PM-career development — shape the PMO talent pipeline.PMO strategy and methodology — author or co-author for the organization.Executive-sponsor partnerships — manage on multi-quarter or multi-year programs.Crisis-management on at-risk programs — lead through with composure and clarity.Senior consulting on cross-organizational programs (M&A, transformation, ERP rollouts) — drive with executive partners.Industry / community PM presence — represent through PMI chapter, conferences, or publication.Vendor and consulting-partner strategy at program level — own commercials.Practice culture and PM standards — shape through rituals, templates, and example.
Also known as
99 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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