How to hire a communications project manager

How to hire a communications project manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step communications project manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a communications project manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new communications project manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a communications project manager do?

Post a communications project manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your communications project manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a communications project manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A communications project manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, communications project managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents communications project manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Communications Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Communications Project Manager		$28-58
   Manager Of Corporate Communications	A manager of corporate communications is primarily responsible for overseeing the external and internal communications in a company, ensuring everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for managing marketing communications and public relations, and even developing various marketing content... Show more	$27-58
   Project Director	A project director is a professional responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided... Show more	$33-77

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Web Content
   • Status Reports
   • SharePoint
   • Communications Projects
   • HR
   • Project Scope
   • Strategic Communications
   • Intranet
   • VoIP
   • Data Analysis
   • Content Management
   • Subject Matter Experts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage SEO outreach activities to develop visibility.
   • Manage SharePoint front page for company-wide news and departmental updates using original and curate content.
   • Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
   • Revise, edit and reformat PowerPoint decks and training manuals.
   • Render PowerPoint assistance that support the team s communications programs and promotions.
   • Create and run various Facebook contests aim at driving growth and building the community.

   More communications project manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your communications project manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A communications project manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a communications project manager in Oklahoma may be lower than in California, and an entry-level communications project manager usually earns less than a senior-level communications project manager. Additionally, a communications project manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average communications project manager salary

   $85,174yearly

   $40.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level communications project manager salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average communications project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$111,068	$53
   2	Washington	$102,208	$49
   3	Massachusetts	$98,601	$47
   4	District of Columbia	$98,349	$47
   5	Maryland	$95,086	$46
   6	Virginia	$94,488	$45
   7	Oregon	$90,743	$44
   8	New York	$85,694	$41
   9	North Carolina	$82,715	$40
   10	Florida	$80,633	$39
   11	Michigan	$78,918	$38
   12	Georgia	$78,123	$38
   13	Tennessee	$77,375	$37
   14	Texas	$76,362	$37
   15	Ohio	$76,323	$37
   16	Kentucky	$74,005	$36
   17	Utah	$72,462	$35
   18	Maine	$69,136	$33
   19	Colorado	$68,477	$33
   20	Illinois	$67,044	$32

   Average communications project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$142,786	$68.65	97
   2	Applied Materials	$113,591	$54.61	16
   3	Bloomberg	$106,287	$51.10	6
   4	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$100,532	$48.33	28
   5	Eastman	$99,677	$47.92
   6	Fidelity Investments	$96,860	$46.57	18
   7	TEKsystems	$95,589	$45.96	20
   8	Michael Kors	$95,344	$45.84
   9	BAE Systems	$94,269	$45.32	98
   10	Canadian Pacific Railway	$92,137	$44.30	3
   11	Commonwealth	$92,112	$44.28
   12	Verizon Communications	$91,658	$44.07
   13	Tetra Tech	$90,608	$43.56	55
   14	Kansas City Life Insurance Company	$90,041	$43.29
   15	ICF	$89,492	$43.02	33
   16	OPEN Health	$87,511	$42.07
   17	Aldridge	$85,687	$41.20
   18	Prime 8 Consulting	$85,213	$40.97
   19	American Public Health Association	$84,321	$40.54
   20	Prometheus	$84,278	$40.52

4. Writing a communications project manager job description

   A communications project manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a communications project manager job description:

   Communications project manager job description example

   Hagerty Consulting, Inc. (Hagerty) is the nation's leading emergency management and homeland security consulting firm. Known for its public spirit, innovative thinking, problem-solving, and exceptional people, Hagerty is sought after to work on some of the largest and most complex crisis and emergency management issues. We serve our clients across the nation to enhance their preparedness programs; create more resilient and sustainable communities; provide innovative solutions to enhance their response; and obtain and manage grants and loans to support their recovery.
   
   As Hagerty grows, we continue to look for talented professionals from a variety of backgrounds to provide holistic solutions to our clients. We are currently seeking a Communications Specialist/Project Manager. This is a contract position that will be supported remotely, with the opportunity to travel to California. The Communications Specialist/Project Manager will serve as a part of a team providing operational and organizational management support to a government organization in their long-term COVID-19 operations. In this role, the Communications Specialist/Project Manager will serve in a key role engaging with governmental partners to support the overall technology development and data automation initiatives.
   The responsibilities of Communications Specialist/Project Manager include, but are not limited to:
   
   * Providing project management and communications support.
   * Coordinating on all written and content-related requests.
   * Coordinating with subject matter experts to confirm information for intergovernmental communications, media advisories, website updates, and any other forms of communications.
   * Coordinating among recovery and communications staff to ensure each team is up to date on the others activities and needs.
   * Providing talking points for presentations on an as-needed basis.
   
   Candidates for the Communications Specialist/Project Manager must possess the following qualifications:
   
   * Five (5) or more years of experience in program management, communications, emergency management, or a related field.
   * A bachelors degree or higher.
   * Strong professional written and verbal communication skills.
   * The ability to edit and revise others work efficiently and improve communications products.
   * High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite products (including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).
   * Able to remain calm and poised under pressure, work successfully on multiple priorities simultaneously, and remain focused when working under tight deadlines.
   * A passion for emergency management and ability to quickly learn and own new responsibilities.
   * Consulting experience at the federal, state, local level of government, universities and/or private sector.
   
   Hagerty is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find communications project managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your communications project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit communications project manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting communications project managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new communications project manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the communications project manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new communications project manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a communications project manager?