How Much Do Lead Project 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 lead project 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 lead project 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 lead project managers are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much lead project managers can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Lead Project Managers
According to data from 2023, there were about 972,059 positions for lead project managers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for lead project managers was reported to be $98,571. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 376,265 job postings related to positions for lead project managers.
How Much Money Do Lead Project Managers Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money lead project 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 lead project managers.
Annual Salary for Lead Project Managers
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for lead project managers and related professions earned about $57,512 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $163,051 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for lead project managers in the United States in 2023 was $98,571.
Annual Salary Range For Lead Project Managers In 2023
Hourly Salary for Lead Project Managers
The BLS also breaks down compensation for lead project managers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for lead project managers in 2023 was $47. Lowest hourly earners took home $28 while the highest reported hourly salaries for lead project managers was $78.
Hourly Salary Range For Lead Project Managers In 2023
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Advertised Compensation for Lead Project Managers
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for lead project 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 lead project 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 Lead Project Managers
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 392,608 job postings related to lead project managers, advertised salary was included in 139,982 of them, which was 36%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for lead project managers was $101,760 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Lead Project Managers
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for lead project managers. Based on 37% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for lead project managers in the United States is about $49.
Salary Trend for Lead Project Managers
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for lead project 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 lead project managers dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for lead project managers have increased 22%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Lead Project Managers
What's the Job Growth for Lead Project 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 lead project managers over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 973,464 jobs for lead project managers in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 111,940 jobs will be added. That's a 11.5% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Lead Project Managers
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about lead project managers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for lead project managers.
What do lead project managers do?
Lead Project Managers: How do you become one?
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