What Is a Project Manager? A Career Guide

A project manager is a skilled professional who organizes, plans and executes projects across various industries. You work within the constraints of budgets, schedules, and resources to ensure projects are completed and delivered on time. Project managers lead and coordinate entire teams, define and manage project goals, and maintain clear communication with stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. Whether running a marketing campaign, constructing a building, developing software, or launching a new product, the project manager plays a critical role in determining the project's success.

As a project manager, you can work in almost every industry—and you'll be in demand. Jobs in project management are growing at a rate faster than average compared to other occupations. Take a closer look at what project managers do, why you should consider a career in project management, and how you can get started. If you're ready to start working toward this career path now, consider enrolling in Google's Project Management Professional Certificate.

Explore: Types of Project Management: Methodologies, Industries, and More

What does a project manager do? Tasks and responsibilities

As a project manager, you would oversee projects through the project lifecycle: initiation, planning, execution, and closure. To ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, you may take on a variety of tasks and responsibilities, including:

• Defining the scope of the project

• Staying on schedule

• Planning a project’s cost and sticking to a budget

• Managing project resources (including teams and workers)

• Documenting the progress of the project

• Communicating with stakeholders

• Assessing risks

• Troubleshooting

• Leading quality assurance

The sheer variety of project manager responsibilities means that no two days on the job (or two projects) are quite the same. On any given day, you might be interviewing and hiring new talent, managing team meetings, reallocating resources to cover an unexpected expense, or updating stakeholders on the project's progress.

Learn more about the lifecycle of a project in this video.

Essential skills for project management

It would help if you had a combination of workplace and technical skills to be successful as a project manager, including organization, communication, and industry knowledge. Honing these five skills can help you build a foundation for success in the field:

• Leadership: You’ll lead a team to achieve a goal.

• Communication: You’re often the first line of communication for team members, vendors, stakeholders, and customers.

• Organization: The ability to prioritize and multitask will keep projects running smoothly.

• Critical thinking: Analyzing and evaluating a situation critically helps prevent issues before they happen.

• A sense of humor: Approaching a project with a positive attitude can ease stress and energize your team.

Project management is an exciting and rewarding career where you'll collaborate closely with team members and leverage access to project management software or online tools that streamline the process. The specific project management software you use depends on the project or company. Typically, it will include the capability to track time and budgets, create plans and reports, manage invoices, and share calendars across multiple teams. 

Read more: 11 Key Project Management Skills

Want to see a day in the life of a project manager? Watch this video from the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

Project management methodologies

As you learn more about project planning, you may encounter terms like Agile, Scrum, or Waterfall that refer to various methodologies. Each methodology is a set of guiding principles or project management strategies. Common approaches and methodologies include:

• Agile

• Lean

• Waterfall

• Scrum

• Kanban

• XP (Extreme Programming)

• Six Sigma

Choosing a methodology (or a combination of methodologies) is one of the first decisions you’ll make as a project manager. Which you choose will depend on the industry and type of project. 

For example, if you’re working in software development, you may choose to employ Agile techniques. Scrum, an approach to Agile management, uses daily team meetings and short (for example, 30-day) “sprints” to develop projects quickly and efficiently. The Lean method, developed by Toyota in the 1970s, seeks to maximize value and minimize waste. It’s still commonly used in the manufacturing industry.

Read more: 12 Project Management Methodologies: Your Guide

Project management careers

Project managers are in demand across industries, including construction, architecture, fashion, design, computer science, robotics, and government. Project management can be a great career path for applying team building, problem-solving, and leadership skills while helping organizations bring ideas and initiatives to life. And since it’s such a versatile career, you can leverage these transferable skills to enhance your resume, no matter where your career takes you.

Project manager roles include:

• IT project manager

• Construction project manager

• Health care project manager

• Technical project manager

• Project sponsor

• Senior project manager

• Project coordinator

• Project administrator

• Project analyst

• Project director

• Project management consultant

• Project officer

• Project executive

• Scrum master

Read more: How to Become a Project Manager: 5 Steps

Project manager salary: How much can you earn?

As a project manager, you typically earn an above-average salary. However, your earning potential depends on several factors, including the industry you work in, your employer, your skills and experience, and your education and credentials. Review this salary data from different sources:

• Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that the median annual project manager salary across all industries in the United States is $120,000 [1].

• Glassdoor reports that project managers make $89,764 on average [2].

• The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that project management specialists make $98,580 [3].

What is the Project Management Institute?

The Project Management Institute is a global organization offering professional learning, support, and certification for project managers. Its Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a top credential in the field. 

Read more: Project Manager Salary Guide

Project management job outlook

According to PMI, employers will need to fill 2.3 million new project management-oriented roles annually through 2030 [4]. With a combination of leadership and technical skills, you should find yourself in demand in the coming years. Industries like health care, finance, and tech will all expand and require more project management roles.

Project manager qualifications

Project management is a diverse field, and employers typically expect you to have some education before they hire you. You can meet this requirement through a degree or certification.

Higher education

A bachelor's degree is typically the minimum requirement to become a project manager, with 68 percent of professionals holding a bachelor's degree and 14 percent holding a master's degree [5]. Many project managers have a degree in business, computer science, or an industry-related field. While not always a strict requirement, a degree can help you develop the leadership skills needed on the job. Some companies may look for candidates with a graduate degree, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Science in Management (MSM).

Read more: Do I Need a Project Management Degree?

Project management certification options

Whether you’re just graduating from college or looking to pivot to a new career in project management, you can enhance your resume with a professional credential, such as a Professional Certificate or certification. Consider the following options:

• Project Management Professional (PMP): If you already have a few years of experience working on projects in a professional setting, you can advance your career with the PMP credential from the Project Management Institute (PMI). The UCI Project Management Professional Certificate fulfills the educational requirements for the PMP exam. By earning this certificate, you can prepare for the exam and receive a university-issued credential for your resume. Learn more about how to get a PMP certification.

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): If you're just getting started in project management, the CAPM is an entry-level project management certification administered by the PMI. Designed for those without formal project management experience, it can help open a path to several entry-level project management positions. Read more about the CAPM certification.

Do you need a PMP to be a project manager?

You don't necessarily need a PMP certification to be a project manager. However, many employers include it as a job requirement. Additionally, PMI reports that PMP-certification holders earn 33 percent higher salaries on average [1]. 

Career pathways in project management

No matter where you start your career in project management, consider career advancement and additional roles you may want to pursue. For example, you may enter the field as a project coordinator providing support with administrative tasks related to a project and use that experience to qualify for a role as a project manager. Although the precise route you take might vary from organization to organization, the following chart highlights the possibilities:

Read more: Project Manager Career Path: From Entry-Level to VP

Next steps to becoming a project manager

As a project manager, you play a pivotal role in organizing teams and overseeing projects in various industries. Consider enrolling in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate on Coursera to take the next steps toward this new career. You can learn the foundations of Agile, including how to implement Scrum events and practice using skills you'll need to be successful in a project management role.