Project Manager

What is a Project Manager?

Project managers ensure that a project is completed on time, within budget, and that its objectives are met. They oversee the project, manage the team, ensure the most efficient resources are used and ensure that all parties involved are satisfied.

Project Managers can expect to make an average salary of $106,700 annually (or $114,400 in total compensation package). The highest earners for this role can expect to see around $119,100 annually (or $127,700 in total compensation).

Project Manager Salary Range

$ 0
25th Percentile
$ 0
50th Percentile
$ 0
75th Percentile

*Current as of December 2022.  

Foundational Skills

Verbal Communications, Leadership, Detail Orientation, Management, Innovative, Consulting, Organization, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Research/ Presenting, Planning, Influencing, Mentorship, Time Management

Occupational Skills

Initiating a Project

Novice Level

Can create draft project charters.

Emerging Level

Can create draft project charters Understands key stakeholder needs. 

Can identify high-level risk, assumptions and constraints. 

Assures project is aligned with organizational objectives and customer needs.

Proficient Level

Creates scope statements that reflect organization and customer needs and expectations (Describe project goals, outcomes, results and implementation scenarios). 

Can gain buy-in for project charters. 

Ability to manage multiple project work-streams.

Planning a Project

Novice Level

Can establish change management processes. 

Can develop a quality and risk plan.

Emerging Level

Can develop a project schedule and plan (Knowledge to produce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfill future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given project).

Define the work-plan, duration, deliverables, resources and procedures a project has to follow to achieve its goals.

Can develop a budget, cost management and resource allocation plan.

Proficient Level

Gains agreement on project scope and deliverables.

Can form and align a project team with clear roles and responsibilities.

Driving a team to make decisions.

Executing a Project

Novice Level

Gains material resources as needed.

Emerging Level

Schedule team work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. 

Leads project teams and members working in a team or individually, to maximize their performance and contribution.

Successfully manages quality and risk.

Manages stakeholder and team member expectations through project.

Proficient Level

Can successfully guide team and stakeholders through execution of project plan and achievement of goals.

Gains understanding of business goals, process flows and understands project components, identifying dependencies and risks, motivating project team members to meet deliverables.

Closing a Project

Novice Level

Follows formal project close out process. 

Releases project resources.

Emerging Level

Lessons learned analyzed and recorded for future projects.

Proficient Level

Gains acceptance of all outcomes by project stakeholders. 

Remediation plan for what went well/ didn’t go well. 

Monitoring & Coordinating a Project

Novice Level

Tracks project using standard PM toolset and keep all stakeholders clearly and reliably informed.

Emerging Level

Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. 

Proficient Level

Risks and quality managed to optimize project outcomes. 

Project team managed. (Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed.)

Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

Experience + Training

To be a Project Manager, employers typically look for a Bachelor’s degree in Business or Master’s degree in Business Administration or related field/experience. Being a Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner is also valuable. Other preferred and/or required certifications for a Project Manager include: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner, Project Management Professional Certification, Certified Power Quality Professional, and/or Salesforce Certification.  

Below is a list of TechPoint programs and our partner programs in Indiana that offer experiences to develop digital skills for a Project Manager. These include certificate and degree attainment, internship programs, and mentorship to help you prepare for a career in tech.   

Want to try on Project Management? Explore our free virtual work simulation through Forage and gain hands on experience for this role directly from industry: Project Management Work Simulation