How to hire a custom project manager

How to hire a custom project manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step custom 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 custom project manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new custom project manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a custom project manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The custom project manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A custom project manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, custom 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.

   Here's a comparison of custom project manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Custom Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Custom Project Manager		$34-57
   Club Manager	A club manager is responsible for overseeing club operations, delegating tasks to the club staff, and ensuring that the team provides the highest customer service and satisfaction for the guests. Club managers inspect the stability of technical tools and equipment, including the adequacy of inventory and food and beverage stocks... Show more	$12-35
   Pool Manager	A pool manager is in charge of overseeing the daily operations at indoor and outdoor pools. Among their responsibilities include managing budgets and employee schedules, delegating tasks to staff, developing and implementing marketing strategies, and training new workforce members... Show more	$11-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Customer Project
   • External Resources
   • Business Development
   • Project Scope
   • Portfolio
   • Project Financials
   • Risk Management
   • Work Breakdown Structure
   • Party Vendors
   • Project Execution
   • Infrastructure
   • PMI
   • Customer Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage enterprise wide projects for credit card portfolio conversions.
   • Manage consumer desktop PC support processes to ensure total customer experience.
   • Manage full deployment on companies' technical infrastructure and diverse learning management systems (AICC and SCORM base).
   • Manage technical support database and schedule.
   • Manage acquisition & divestiture projects relate to payroll operations.
   • Manage production support, ticket management, incident/problem management, resolutions and SLA consumption.

   More custom project manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the custom project manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A custom project manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a custom project manager in Vermont may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level custom project manager. Additionally, a custom project manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average custom project manager salary

   $93,273yearly

   $44.84 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level custom project manager salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average custom project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$114,300	$55
   2	Massachusetts	$107,904	$52
   3	Wisconsin	$105,886	$51
   4	Pennsylvania	$103,781	$50
   5	Missouri	$102,939	$49
   6	New Jersey	$102,834	$49
   7	Washington	$100,588	$48
   8	Nevada	$97,550	$47
   9	New York	$97,136	$47
   10	Texas	$96,578	$46
   11	Ohio	$96,117	$46
   12	Michigan	$95,018	$46
   13	Arizona	$94,457	$45
   14	Florida	$93,562	$45
   15	Georgia	$92,856	$45
   16	Illinois	$85,121	$41
   17	Tennessee	$83,427	$40
   18	Vermont	$82,079	$39
   19	Utah	$80,791	$39
   20	Colorado	$78,901	$38

   Average custom project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$136,689	$65.72	488
   2	Renesas Electronics	$111,391	$53.55
   3	Dell	$110,900	$53.32
   4	Nokia	$110,643	$53.19	1
   5	Palo Alto Networks	$107,053	$51.47	11
   6	Barclays	$106,113	$51.02
   7	Veeva Systems	$104,758	$50.36	10
   8	HP	$104,141	$50.07	28
   9	Cisco	$103,391	$49.71	17
   10	NTT Europe Ltd	$103,264	$49.65	54
   11	Agilent Technologies	$101,465	$48.78	1
   12	General Motors	$100,372	$48.26	9
   13	ForgeRock	$98,782	$47.49
   14	Qualcomm	$98,101	$47.16	21
   15	Michaels Stores	$97,158	$46.71	53
   16	Rockwell Automation	$96,595	$46.44	15
   17	Ericsson	$96,563	$46.42	1
   18	Arizona Public Service	$96,344	$46.32
   19	Southern California Edison	$96,252	$46.27	6
   20	John Deere	$95,506	$45.92

4. Writing a custom project manager job description

   A good custom project manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a custom project manager job description:

   Custom project manager job description example

   Come and join our exciting and growing team at HomePro! Tons of benefits, opportunities for growth and excellent leadership! Check us out!
   
   The HomePro story is a story of growth and innovation, including security, home entertainment and home automation. We are a Texas-based company that was started more than two decades ago. HomePro’s business model calls for all home integration services to be provided by one company. We pride ourselves on service and getting the job done.
   If you want to join a friendly and customer-focused team, apply today! Our benefits include: Full-time position 401K with company match PTO and Paid Company Holidays Employee Discounted Monitoring Plan Benefits after 60 days Free Gym onsite Advancement Opportunities
   Job Purpose:
   
   Project management that requires extensive organizational and communicative skills to HomePro effectively designs, schedules, implements and services solutions for its most important clients
   
   To be a strong fit for the role of Project Manager, you will need: • A minimum of 2 years of project management experience in residential service, i.e. home security, a/v installation, interior design, construction services, etc.• Experience with managing priorities of simultaneous projects in a customer-facing role• Demonstrated “Customer First” focus with experience handling difficult situations
   
   Additionally, you should have the following core competencies and characteristics: • Both a self-starter balanced with being a team-player• Work with integrity with limited direction and supervision• Proactive communication -- provide answers and status updates to the customers' questions before they ask• Excellent planning skills and time management, strong verbal and written communication skills
   
   Responsibilities: • Coordinate the necessary tasks relating to the completion of division’s model homes, VIP projects, and special projects; Report status to division General Manager• Manage all ongoing projects utilizing project management software and oversee workload of direct reports to ensure projects are being completed on time and to client expectations• Develop and maintain relationships with key decision makers to determine project needs• Utilize connections and internal resources, such as Account Executive and Account Management teams, to learn of upcoming projects and schedule accordingly and communicate important details, such as scheduled service dates, to customers within timely manner• Partner with internal teams to properly setup and make changes to Security Monitoring & Billing accounts, as well as, swiftly service deployed solutions• Provide cost and profit analysis for managed projects

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find custom 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 custom project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit custom project manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit custom project managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 custom project manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the custom 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new custom project manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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.)

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