Post Job

What is a consultant/project manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Experts
Angela Grotto Ph.D.,
Dr. Daryl Green
introduction image

A project manager or consultant plays the role of leader, planner, and advisor in working with clients to design and put solutions related to quality improvement in place. As a project manager or consultant, you are meant to hold pre-planning meetings to create, review and draft contracts.

After detailed plans have been made and the contract has been signed, you are expected to visit customers as a project manager. This visit is to review the process and check on the progress of the project to make sure everything is going on as planned. It is significant that you also stay updated on recent and emerging developments for future incorporation. Ultimately, you are to deliver projects and ensure that it is delivered on time.

A degree in project management, business administration, or any other reference field is needed for this role. Exceptional communication, organizational, and time management skills are also required skills. You should be making an average of $43.86 an hour or $91,236 in a year.

What general advice would you give to a Consultant/Project Manager?

Angela Grotto Ph.D.Angela Grotto Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Professor of Management, Manhattan College


  1. When job searching, be active and persistent - Network by setting up Zoom informational calls with professionals (alumni, people with whom your family work) to learn about jobs that you are interested in or to learn about organizations where you would like to work and then follow up with them; have someone you trust who is a professional review your resume and social media profile pages; carve out time every day to apply to jobs; use Handshake and LinkedIn as a resource; keep sending out applications; while job searching, volunteer or start your business project that showcases your skillset and then discuss it during your interviews.
  2. When interviewing, be creative - Use experiences from your academic career to demonstrate your capabilities. There are many skills you learn in class that are transferrable to the professional world. For example, as a student, you likely had to pivot to full remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than seeing this as a disadvantage, discuss how the new learning format has prepared you to work remotely as an employee, how small group projects have primed you to collaborate on a virtual team, and how small classes have equipped you to use technology such as Zoom.
  3. When deciding on a job offer, be open-minded - Your first job may not be the one you had imagined or hoped for upon graduation. Still, it may be a stepping stone to your ideal career or a way to build your network of professional connections. You create meaningful and valuable relationships with others who may one day help you get the job you want.
  4. When you land the job, be flexible - Show your employer or your boss that you're willing to step outside your comfort zone and do tasks that you were not necessarily trained for or are unrelated to your degree. Also, when circumstances at work change, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, show that you are willing to step up and do a different job, do someone else's job, or work on another project or team. This flexibility will demonstrate your versatility and how you can adapt to new and unpredictable situations. Lastly, embrace the "gig" economy - be willing to start as a temporary or contract worker with a company to get your foot in the door and build more professional connections.
ScoreConsultant/Project ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.6

Avg. Salary $100,754

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.4

Growth Rate 11%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 8.95%

Black or African American 7.60%

Hispanic or Latino 12.73%

Unknown 4.70%

White 65.35%

Gender

female 34.64%

male 65.36%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress Level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.7

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Consultant/Project Manager in Ashburn, VA

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Consultant/Project Manager career paths

Key steps to become a consultant/project manager

  1. Explore consultant/project manager education requirements

    Most common consultant/project manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.6 %

    Master's

    19.0 %

    Associate

    7.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific consultant/project manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management19.35%
    Project Scope10.83%
    Business Development9.69%
    Executive Management6.36%
    Customer Satisfaction6.30%
  3. Research consultant/project manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead and manage team of business analysts responsible for defining detail functional specifications for large-scale CRM implementation.
    • Project manage software development initiatives according to company SDLC.
    • Manage quality/regulatory control and clinical personnel, to deliver on time data-migration project using SDLC.
    • Develop training programs for ERP implementations, and manage development of custom performance support and knowledge management software solutions.
  4. Prepare your consultant/project manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your consultant/project manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a consultant/project manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Consultant/Project Manager Resume templates

    Build a professional Consultant/Project Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Consultant/Project Manager resume.
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
    Consultant/Project Manager Resume
  5. Apply for consultant/project manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a consultant/project manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Consultant/Project Manager Job

Richard Burgunder

Consultant/Project Manager, Extremus

My career journey in becoming a consultant and project manager started upon graduating from Penn
State, when I accepted an analyst role at a privately held provider of consulting and marketing
intelligence services to government contractors. While in this role, I became well-versed in business
consulting and project management by managing government contract opportunities for 10 state and
local markets. After a year of familiarizing myself with the government contracting industry, I accepted a
more senior-level analyst role at a publicly held provider of information technology services and
solutions to the federal government. This role required additional technical skills and project
management responsibilities as I directed weekly operations meetings to an average of 25 C-level
defense industry executives from our corporate headquarters in Northern Virginia. After a few years of
honing my consulting and project management skills in the Washington, D.C. metro area, I relocated to
New York City and accepted another analyst role with a privately held provider of technology and
management consulting services to the federal government. While in this role, I became a subject
matter expert (SME) in business intelligence and managed our internal communications plan for the
New York City government procurement market.
After gaining extensive experience in consulting and project management during the first five years of
my career, I founded my own professional services firm that provides advisory and management
consulting services to the global sports market. My sports management agency has strategically
managed large-scale international projects for high-profile and diverse clients, including professional
athletes and Global Fortune 500 companies. My experience has provided me the ability to lead cross-
functional teams and drive strategic initiatives for national and international projects, advise and
manage relationships with elite and professional athletes from diverse backgrounds, and manage sports
marketing campaigns and execute event activations at marquee events across multiple countries. My
diverse career in consulting and project management has enabled me to enjoy an abundance of
interesting opportunities, including many purpose-driven projects that drove transformation within the
sports industry.

Average consultant/project manager salary

The average Consultant/Project Manager salary in the United States is $100,754 per year or $48 per hour. Consultant/project manager salaries range between $74,000 and $136,000 per year.

Average Consultant/Project Manager Salary
$100,754 Yearly
$48.44 hourly

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

How do consultant/project managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Consultant/Project Manager reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023
Pros

I like to work with a team. Satisfaction of seeing the successful completion of a project

Cons

Strict deadlines, and stakeholders. Feeling undervalued or underappreciated.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

not applicable because I dont work as a technical project manager

Cons

not applicable because I dont work as a technical project manager


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoy problem-solving and identifying a path to completing a complex project. I like to ensure that moving parts come together smoothly and communicating successes and celebrating with the team.

Cons

Without the right support from project sponsors, a project manager is doomed to failure. There is an enormous amount of responsibility on a project manager to deliver a product on time and on budget, though without proper authority or backing, it's basically wheel spinning.


Working as a Consultant/Project Manager? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs