How Much Do Contract Managers Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary contract managers make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for contract managers and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of contract managers are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much contract managers can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Contract Managers
According to data from 2023, there were about 487,157 positions for contract managers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for contract managers was reported to be $71,947. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 178,195 job postings related to positions for contract managers.
How Much Money Do Contract Managers Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money contract managers and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for contract managers.
Annual Salary for Contract Managers
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for contract managers and related professions earned about $43,680 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $121,680 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for contract managers in the United States in 2023 was $71,947.
Annual Salary Range For Contract Managers In 2023
Hourly Salary for Contract Managers
The BLS also breaks down compensation for contract managers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for contract managers in 2023 was $35. Lowest hourly earners took home $21 while the highest reported hourly salaries for contract managers was $59.
Hourly Salary Range For Contract Managers In 2023
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Contract Managers
With an associate of science in business administration degree, you’ll dig into the functional areas of business and learn how to connect each function with the others to advance business goals and further outcomes while you prepare for a variety of roles in operations, sales, management and coordination.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Build a strong foundation of real-world business knowledge suitable for a variety of career options in your industry of choice.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
Develop into a well-rounded, adaptive and strategic business leader with a comprehensive mindset.
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Advertised Compensation for Contract Managers
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for contract managers, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for contract managers.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Contract Managers
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 175,858 job postings related to contract managers, advertised salary was included in 66,470 of them, which was 38%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for contract managers was $75,136 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Contract Managers
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for contract managers. Based on 37% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for contract managers in the United States is about $36.
Salary Trend for Contract Managers
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for contract managers. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for contract managers dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for contract managers have increased 25%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Contract Managers
What's the Job Growth for Contract Managers?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for contract managers over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 486,036 jobs for contract managers in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 5,972 jobs will be removed. That's a 1.2% decrease over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Contract Managers
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about contract managers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for contract managers.
What do contract managers do?
Contract Managers: How do you become one?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.