Free study · U.S. jobs · source-linked

THE U.S. PM MARKET, SECTOR BY SECTOR

We analyzed 1,000 project-management jobs.

Six industries. Complete descriptions. Published annual pay. One free evidence base for deciding what to learn, where to apply, and what employers repeat.

Explore every job

1,000JOBS
ANALYZED

YOUTUBE FILM↔LIVE DATASET

WATCH THE FINDING. VERIFY THE DATA.

One argument. One live evidence layer.

The film guides you through the $37K market gap and the top-versus-bottom-quartile split. This page lets you verify every claim across six sectors and all 1,000 source-linked jobs.

Watch full screen on YouTube DAN Assistant AI D. Ferris · AI-generated educational presenter · human-reviewed research

THE BIG PICTURE

One market. Six different realities.

Choose a sector to update every metric, chart, and job below.

ACTIVE SLICE1000All sectors

AVERAGE PAY$94Krange midpoint average

MEDIAN PAY$83Kless sensitive to outliers

PUBLISHED RANGE$20K–$365Klowest floor to highest ceiling

THE GOLD NUGGETS

Nine evidence layers that change the strategy.

These are not generic career claims. Every comparison is calculated from the same 1,000 salary-transparent descriptions. Start with the visual read, then open the evidence when you want the detail.

SECTOR SPREAD$37K

between the highest and lowest sector median

ROLE-FAMILY SPREAD2.2×

from coordinator work to Technical / IT PM

NO CERTIFICATION NAMED82.2%

822 of 1,000 descriptions

MARKET FIRSTSector choice changes the salary baseline

The highest sector median is $110,000 in Technology. The lowest is $72,652 in Finance & consulting. That is a 51.4% sample gap before choosing a certification.

HIGHEST$110,000Technology & SaaSVSLOWEST$72,652Finance, Consulting & Professional Services

TITLE ECONOMICSIn PM, the role family can more than double the median

Technical / IT PM carries a $140,725 median across n=60. Program Coordinator sits at $64,273 across n=92. Search by the work you want to own, not only by “project management.”

Technical / IT PM$141K median · n=60

Program Manager$109K median · n=169

Project Manager$103K median · n=215

Construction$94K median · n=92

Associate PM$85K median · n=27

Implementation$85K median · n=33

THE CERTIFICATION PARADOXPMP is uncommon, but clusters in higher-paying descriptions

PMP appears in 16% of the sample. Those descriptions carry a $123,361 median, versus $79,520 when PMP is not named. This is an association, not proof that the credential causes the salary.

Technology31.7%PMP mentions · n=53Construction8.4%PMP mentions · n=14Healthcare12%PMP mentions · n=20Finance & consulting16.2%PMP mentions · n=27Industry & energy22.9%PMP mentions · n=38Government4.8%PMP mentions · n=8

DEGREE REALITYA degree mention barely changes the overall sample median

694 descriptions name at least one education level and have a $82,924 median. The 306 with no explicit degree mention have a $83,200 median. A degree may still help selection, but it does not explain the pay spread in this sample.

DEGREE MENTIONED$82,924n=694VSNO DEGREE MENTION$83,200n=306

EXPERIENCE LADDERThe explicit minimum rises with the median

Only numeric minimums detected in the description are counted. “Not specified” means no explicit number was found, not that the employer requires zero experience.

0–1 years$71,9627.6% · n=762 years$80,0009.3% · n=933 years$87,30611.3% · n=113Not specified$84,57371.8% · n=718

HIGHER-PAY LANGUAGEExecution vocabulary marks different kinds of work

The strongest salary associations with reliable sample sizes are not basic office skills. They describe delivery complexity. These differences are descriptive and may reflect role or sector mix.

Waterfall$116Kmedian when named · n=47+$34K vs absentAgile$113Kmedian when named · n=122+$33K vs absentVendor management$113Kmedian when named · n=33+$31K vs absentChange management$110Kmedian when named · n=81+$29K vs absentRisk management$108Kmedian when named · n=149+$28K vs absentRequirements management$106Kmedian when named · n=52+$24K vs absent

TOOLS ARE DIALECTSThere is no universal PM software stack

Technology over-indexes on Jira. Construction speaks Procore, Primavera P6 and AutoCAD. Manufacturing brings SAP. Finance and consulting mention Excel most heavily. The useful question is not “Which PM tool is best?” It is “Which tool proves I understand my target sector?”

Jira$115Kmedian when named · n=57+$33K vs absentPrimavera P6$111Kmedian when named · n=28+$29K vs absentSAP$108Kmedian when named · n=35+$26K vs absentMS Project$100Kmedian when named · n=95+$18K vs absentSmartsheet$98Kmedian when named · n=53+$15K vs absentAutoCAD$96Kmedian when named · n=30+$14K vs absent

TOP 25% VS BOTTOM 25%

Most common does not mean most valuable.

We separated the 250 highest-paid roles from the 250 lowest-paid roles. This exposes the language that differentiates the two ends of the sample instead of merely counting what appears most often.

LOWEST-PAID QUARTILE≤ $66Kn=250VERSUSHIGHEST-PAID QUARTILE≥ $115Kn=250

PMP36.4% vs 1.2%

30.3× more prevalent in the top quartile

COMMUNICATION83.2% vs 82%

Nearly identical. Essential, but not differentiating.

EXCEL18.4% vs 31.6%

More common in the lower-paid quartile.

PROJECT COORDINATOR2.4% vs 29.2%

Title architecture changes the salary lane.

SKILL DIVERGENCEWhat separates higher-paid execution

LOWEST-PAID 250HIGHEST-PAID 250

36.8%

Stakeholder management+30 pts

66.8%

32.4%

Budgeting+22.8 pts

55.2%

2.4%

Agile+20.8 pts

23.2%

5.2%

Risk management+18.4 pts

23.6%

83.2%

Organization-14.8 pts

68.4%

82%

Communication+1.2 pts

83.2%

TOOL DIVERGENCECommodity tools versus sector-grade signals

LOWEST-PAID 250HIGHEST-PAID 250

31.6%

Excel-13.2 pts

18.4%

MS Project+11.6 pts

13.6%

2.8%

Jira+8.8 pts

11.6%

Primavera P6+5.2 pts

5.2%

0.8%

SAP+5.2 pts

4.4%

Smartsheet+3.6 pts

TITLE DIVERGENCECoordinator language versus ownership language

LOWEST-PAID 250HIGHEST-PAID 250

29.2%

Project Coordinator-26.8 pts

2.4%

20.4%

Program Coordinator-19.6 pts

0.8%

5.6%

Project Manager+24.8 pts

30.4%

7.6%

Program Manager+23.6 pts

31.2%

0.8%

Technical / IT PM+16.8 pts

17.6%

SECTOR DIVERGENCEWhere the salary quartiles concentrate

LOWEST-PAID 250HIGHEST-PAID 250

Technology & SaaS+24 pts

32%

24%

Finance, Consulting & Professional Services-12.8 pts

11.2%

23.2%

Healthcare & Life Sciences-12.4 pts

10.8%

11.6%

Manufacturing, Energy & Operations+11.2 pts

22.8%

20.4%

Government & Public Sector-10.4 pts

10%

12.8%

Construction, Infrastructure & Engineering+0.4 pts

13.2%

CROSS-SECTOR OPPORTUNITY MAP

Find the obvious winner. Then find the underdogs.

The map compares median pay with low stated barriers. Bubble size represents the share of that sector above the full-sample top-quartile threshold. Because the study uses balanced sector quotas, this is not a market-volume chart.

HIGHER MEDIAN PAYMORE LOW-STATED-BARRIER ROLES

Technology$110K

Construction$85K

Healthcare$76K

Finance & consulting$73K

Industry & energy$88K

Government$80K

UNDERDOG

Construction

Best stated-access / pay balance

$85Kmedian19.8%above $115K91%no certification named

UNDERDOG

Industry & energy

Quiet alternative to the technology lane

$88Kmedian34.3%above $115K75.9%no certification named

UNDERDOG

Government

Certification-light, but education-heavy

$80Kmedian15.1%above $115K94%no certification named

INSPECT ALL SIX SECTORSPay, upside and stated barriers in one view

MARKET LEADER

Technology

Highest pay, highest top-quartile density

$110Kmedian

Top-quartile share: 47.9%
Low stated barrier: 26.3%
No certification named: 63.5%
Ownership-role share: 63.5%

UNDERDOG

Construction

Best stated-access / pay balance

$85Kmedian

Top-quartile share: 19.8%
Low stated barrier: 30.5%
No certification named: 91%
Ownership-role share: 22.2%

BRIDGE MARKET

Healthcare

Coordinator-heavy route into ownership

$76Kmedian

Top-quartile share: 16.2%
Low stated barrier: 24.6%
No certification named: 85.6%
Ownership-role share: 43.7%

WATCHOUT

Finance & consulting

Prestige does not guarantee the pay baseline

$73Kmedian

Top-quartile share: 16.8%
Low stated barrier: 22.8%
No certification named: 83.2%
Ownership-role share: 41.3%

UNDERDOG

Industry & energy

Quiet alternative to the technology lane

$88Kmedian

Top-quartile share: 34.3%
Low stated barrier: 22.9%
No certification named: 75.9%
Ownership-role share: 54.8%

UNDERDOG

Government

Certification-light, but education-heavy

$80Kmedian

Top-quartile share: 15.1%
Low stated barrier: 16.3%
No certification named: 94%
Ownership-role share: 41%

Low stated barrier means no certification, no education level and no numeric minimum above one year were detected. It does not prove that a role is easy to obtain.

Association is not causation. Sector, role family and employer mix can influence every salary comparison.

WHAT EMPLOYERS REPEAT · ALL SECTORS

The market tells you what to train.

Every frequency is an explicit mention in a complete job description. Salary views preserve the sample size, so a striking number never hides a weak base.

TOP REQUIREMENTS

Skills employers name most

Communication82.9% · n=829

Organization73.5% · n=735

Documentation & reporting66.8% · n=668

Scheduling56.8% · n=568

Collaboration55.2% · n=552

Stakeholder management53.3% · n=533

Budgeting48.2% · n=482

Problem solving24.1% · n=241

Process improvement23.3% · n=233

Quality assurance18.3% · n=183

Risk management14.9% · n=149

Agile12.2% · n=122

TOOLS

Software in the descriptions

Excel27.2% · n=272

PowerPoint11.8% · n=118

MS Project9.5% · n=95

Jira5.7% · n=57

Smartsheet5.3% · n=53

SharePoint4.8% · n=48

Procore4.5% · n=45

Google Workspace3.8% · n=38

CERTIFICATIONS

Credentials employers name

PMP16% · n=160

CAPM2.7% · n=27

Six Sigma2.3% · n=23

CSM1.4% · n=14

PRINCE20.9% · n=9

PMI-ACP0.1% · n=1

EDUCATION

What they ask you to have

Bachelor degree59.3% · n=593

Master degree14% · n=140

High school8.2% · n=82

Associate degree4.8% · n=48

ROLE MIX

What entry-level PM is called

Project Manager21.5% · n=215

Program Manager16.9% · n=169

Project Coordinator13.9% · n=139

Other entry PM10.1% · n=101

Construction9.2% · n=92

Program Coordinator9.2% · n=92

Technical / IT PM6% · n=60

Assistant / Junior PM5.8% · n=58

PAY BY PATH

Median annual salary by role family

Technical / IT PM$141K median · n=60

Program Manager$109K median · n=169

Project Manager$103K median · n=215

Construction$94K median · n=92

Associate PM$85K median · n=27

Implementation$85K median · n=33

Assistant / Junior PM$75K median · n=58

PMO / Project Analyst$73K median · n=14

Other entry PM$67K median · n=101

Project Coordinator$65K median · n=139

THE ACTIONABLE CORPUS

Read it. Compare it. Apply.

Every listing keeps its original source link. Open the full description here, then continue directly to the employer or job platform.

0MATCHING
JOBS

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SOURCES & METHODOLOGY

The full study is free. The evidence trail stays intact.

The source count refers to the platforms and source families used, not a wall of 1,000 links. Each individual link lives where it is useful: inside its job card, next to the Apply action.

U.S. market gate
Complete descriptions
Published salary normalized annually
URL and description deduplication
Deterministic six-sector taxonomy

8SOURCE PLATFORMS

4SOURCE FAMILIES

Indeed534 jobs in final sampleGovernmentJobs / NEOGOV120 jobs in final sampleLinkedIn101 jobs in final sampleSmartRecruiters88 jobs in final sampleLever79 jobs in final sampleGreenhouse58 jobs in final sampleOther employer ATS15 jobs in final sampleAshby5 jobs in final sample

Method, not mythologyVersioned deterministic regex taxonomy; no generated job facts