How To Become A Corporate Program Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a corporate program manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Daryl Green

Corporate program managers develop programs to support an organization's strategic direction, as well as creating and managing long-term goals. They develop budgets and operate plans for programs while writing program funding proposals. They also decide on suitable strategies and objectives and coordinate cross-project activities. Corporate program managers earn an average salary of $99,000 annually or $48 per hour.

Corporate program managers are integral to the growth and success of the companies they work for, and as such, they perform lots of duties. Some of those duties include writing program funding proposals to guarantee uninterrupted delivery of services, managing a team with a diverse array of talents and responsibilities, and ensuring goals are met in areas including customer satisfaction, safety, quality, and team member performance.

Corporate program managers typically hold a bachelor's degree in management or a related field. Although, having a master's degree in the aforementioned positions can be a plus in some instances. They are expected to have proven experience as a program manager or in other managerial positions. Some employers prefer candidates with excellent knowledge of performance evaluation and change management principles.

What's a day at work look like for a corporate program manager?

Dr. Daryl Green

Associate Professor of Business, Oklahoma Baptist University

Given the on-going threats of Covid-19, recent graduates can expect varying work days. Some students are working remotely (instead of an office space). Therefore, some recent graduates may still be living with their parents. We are still adjusting to 'The New Normal.' Given this reality, students need to be flexible and adaptable to their employment situation.

ScoreCorporate Program ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.3

Avg. Salary $93,429

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 12.75%

Black or African American 6.51%

Hispanic or Latino 9.76%

Unknown 5.18%

White 65.60%

Gender

female 43.37%

male 56.63%

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

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a corporate program manager

Explore corporate program manager education requirements

Most common corporate program manager degrees

Bachelor's

67.0 %

Master's

20.5 %

Associate

6.9 %

Start to develop specific corporate program manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	28.39%
Process Improvement	11.35%
SharePoint	8.66%
Sigma	7.82%
Lean Six Sigma	4.32%

Complete relevant corporate program manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New corporate program managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a corporate program manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real corporate program manager resumes.

Research corporate program manager duties and responsibilities

Develop a company-wide program lifecycle methodology and lead implementation across PMO resources.
Manage implementation of referrals, coordinate assignment of new physicians and create support network for transitioning patients during clinic closure.
Define and implement supporting program management processes and methodologies and provide thought-leadership to advance BCBSNC's PMO capabilities.
Represent the logistics business division for all quality relate issues including process development for all ISO and Non-ISO certify warehouse locations.

Apply for corporate program manager jobs

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

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

How do corporate program managers rate their job?

-/5

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Corporate program manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

Project concept, execution - meeting business and Customer expectations.

Cons

Enjoy all aspects.