What Can You Do with a Degree in Project Management?

Project management career path and job information

Project managers get things done. From budgeting and purchasing to team building and stakeholder management, people with project management skills have a lot to offer employers in many industries and earn excellent salaries on average. If you’re wondering what kinds of career paths are available to you if you pursue a project management degree, this article can help you start exploring your options.

Job opportunities with a degree in project management

Job titles for project manager career paths will vary depending on:

• The industry you work in
• Your level of experience
• Your qualifications

Entry-level project management jobs usually involve assisting with one specific aspect of the project management function: for example, graduates of a project management bachelor's degree may work as a procurement agent in a construction company or on an IT project management team as a Project Management Administrator. Entry level project managers may consider joining a Project Management Office (PMO) specializing in tools processes and procedures.

Mid- and upper-level project management jobs involve running projects and project teams, including other project managers. Experienced project managers may work directly for organizations or for a consulting firm. Job titles could include IT project manager, construction project manager, engineering project manager, and many more.

Cost Estimators

Entry-level project management job

• Alternative titles: Project Management Administrator, Project Scheduler, Project Coordinator
• Job description: Cost estimators analyze data to help determine the financial, logistical, human and material resources needed to carry out a project.
• Where they work: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most cost estimators work in contracting, construction and manufacturing.
• Cost estimator job outlook: The BLS projects that jobs for cost estimators will decline -3% nationally over the 2022-2032 period.
• How much cost estimators can earn: The BLS reports that the average salary for cost estimators nationwide is $79,520 per year ($38.23 per hour).* This better estimates the salary of a mid-level project manager – entry level project managers will need to gain experience before earning salaries at this level.

Purchasing Project Managers

Upper-level project management job

• Job description: Purchasing managers oversee teams that evaluate the cost and value of goods and services and then buy them to re-sell. They will supervise the evaluation of suppliers, negotiate purchasing agreements, maintain inventories, and complete other related tasks.
• Where they work: The BLS reports that most purchasing managers work in manufacturing, wholesale trade, and government agencies.
• Purchasing manager job outlook: The BLS projects that jobs for purchasing managers will grow by 4% nationally over the 2022-2032 period.
• How much purchasing managers can earn: The BLS reports that the average salary for purchasing managers nationwide is $146,710 per year ($70.53 per hour).*

Construction Project Managers

Mid- to upper-level project management job

• Job description: Construction managers supervise construction activities from the planning stages through to completion. They direct budgeting, supplying, staffing and contracting, and confer with everyone from engineers to municipal planning officials to ensure their projects comply with safety and land use regulations.
• Where they work: According to the BLS, most construction managers are either self-employed, work for specialty trade contractors or for non-residential construction.
• Construction manager job outlook: The BLS projects that construction project management jobs will grow by 5% nationally over the 2022-2032 period.
• How much construction managers can earn: According to the BLS, the average salary for construction managers nationwide is $116,960 per year ($56.23 per hour).*

IT Project Managers

Mid- to upper-level project management job

• Job description: IT project managers, included in the BLS’s “computer and information services managers” category, oversee the implementation of new computer systems, including hardware, software, and/or networking infrastructure to enhance organizational effectiveness. They work with everyone from database administrators to top executives to determine organizational needs and plan technical projects to cause minimal disruption to daily operation.
• Where they work: BLS findings show that most IT management jobs are in computer systems design, information services, or financial services. Some IT project managers may work in consulting firms focused on specific industries, such as healthcare IT or logistics/transportation IT.
• IT manager job outlook: The BLS projects that jobs for IT managers will grow by 15% nationally over the 2022-2032 period.
• How much IT project managers can earn: The BLS reports that the average salary for IT managers nationwide is $180,720 per year ($86.88 per hour).* This reflects an upper-level IT project management salary. 

Healthcare Project Managers

Mid- to upper-level project management job

• Job description: In the healthcare sector, project managers will oversee anything from hospital construction projects to the implementation of new healthcare IT systems. They may also direct or consult on clinical projects, including pharmaceutical research.
• Where they work: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track healthcare project management roles separately, but health and medical services managers of all kinds tend to work most often in hospitals, physicians’ offices, and residential care facilities.
• Healthcare manager job outlook: The BLS projects jobs for health and medical services managers overall are projected to grow by 28% nationally over the 2022-2032, far exceeding the national average.
• How much health and medical services managers can earn: The BLS reports that the average salary for healthcare managers nationwide, including healthcare project managers, is $134,440 per year ($64.64 per hour).*

Global demand for project manager jobs

The largest professional organization dedicated to project management is the Project Management Institute® (PMI). PMI’s 2017 report, Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027 found that demand for project-related workers could grow by as much as 33% globally over the 2017-2027 period. Much of that growth will happen in developing economies like China and India, but growth in the U.S. is also projected to be strong.

PMI projects that in the U.S., project management talent (including entry-level and experienced project managers) will see an average of 213,974 new job openings per year from 2017-2027. PMI concludes many of these job openings will be driven by retirements as well as by rising demand in the following sectors:

• Healthcare
• Manufacturing and construction
• Information Technology
• Utilities
• Oil and gas
• Financial services and insurance
• Information services and publishing
• Management and professional services

In the U.S., PMI found that the healthcare industry had the fastest growth in project management-related jobs, with jobs for project managers expanding by 17% in 2017 alone.

So, the global and national outlook for project management jobs appears to be healthy well into the next decade. Earning a project management degree could be a sound career investment for you.

How do I know if a career in project management is right for me?

Project managers are versatile people with a strong sense of personal responsibility and who want to see things through. They combine specific knowledge of an industry with broadly applicable problem-solving and operational skills for completing projects.

If you want to become a project manager, you need to be able to balance attention to detail with big, strategic thinking, time management, people skills, financial and analytical skills. Project managing jobs really do demand you be capable of almost everything.

The Association for Project Management (APM) lists no fewer than 17 critical skills a project manager should have to perform well in their role. You can read all about them here.

How to start or advance your project management career

All project management career paths require the right education and training to get off to a good start. If you’re new to the field, a bachelor’s degree focused on project management—either a business administration degree with a concentration in project management, or a specific bachelor’s degree in project management, such as Herzing’s Bachelor of Science in Project Management program can help put you on the right path.

Earn a project management degree

The benefit of a focused project management bachelor’s like ours is that you cover more courses specific to the project management function. You can also take courses toward a Herzing MBA while completing your bachelor’s.

In addition, we offer our project management bachelor’s degree online, so you can earn your education requirement while continuing to work.

What to look for in a project management bachelor’s degree program

Seek a project management online program that teaches the core fundamentals of effective project management, including:

• Financial and budget management
• Risk management
• Human resource and team management
• Procurement, purchasing and contracts
• Principles of lean management
• Client and stakeholder communication

Our program covers all these competencies plus foundational business concepts such as accounting, marketing, and more.