How to hire a deputy project manager

How to hire a deputy project manager, step by step

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

What does a deputy project manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a deputy project manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a deputy project manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a deputy project manager that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of deputy project managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Deputy Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Deputy Project Manager		$26-60
   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
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Status Reports
   • Logistics
   • Risk Management
   • Project Controls
   • Management System
   • SharePoint
   • Business Development
   • Cost Estimates
   • DPM
   • DOD
   • Government Agencies
   • Project Scope

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage teams locate in India, Dublin, Tokyo and Seattle.
   • Manage, monitors and measures project portfolio status, recommending corrective action as necessary and communicate portfolio status to their management.
   • Recognize with a special service award for services to the UK business.
   • Balance contract cost, schedule, and scope to meet USAID's mission requirements.
   • Collaborate with USAID, implementing partners and other in-country stakeholders to hold joint program meetings, training sessions and conferences.
   • Develop tabs/folders and upload data and documents for company utilizing SharePoint.

   More deputy project manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your deputy project manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A deputy project manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, deputy project managers' average salary in utah is 41% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level deputy project managers 56% less than senior-level deputy project managers.
   • Certifications. A deputy project manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a deputy project manager's salary.

   Average deputy project manager salary

   $84,167yearly

   $40.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level deputy project manager salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average deputy project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$110,502	$53
   2	Maryland	$108,829	$52
   3	District of Columbia	$107,948	$52
   4	Connecticut	$107,372	$52
   5	Pennsylvania	$107,308	$52
   6	Michigan	$103,403	$50
   7	California	$103,007	$50
   8	Massachusetts	$102,805	$49
   9	Illinois	$100,322	$48
   10	Minnesota	$96,917	$47
   11	Washington	$94,899	$46
   12	Virginia	$94,242	$45
   13	New York	$90,388	$43
   14	Texas	$88,982	$43
   15	North Carolina	$88,544	$43
   16	Georgia	$85,494	$41
   17	Florida	$80,445	$39
   18	Indiana	$79,946	$38
   19	Nevada	$78,808	$38
   20	Tennessee	$78,452	$38

   Average deputy project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Sagitec Solutions LLC	$116,042	$55.79
   2	Techop Solutions International	$115,291	$55.43
   3	Argonne National Laboratory	$114,162	$54.89	3
   4	QSSI	$112,269	$53.98
   5	Fluor Corporation	$109,273	$52.54	30
   6	DCG Systems	$106,698	$51.30	1
   7	General Electric	$106,052	$50.99	40
   8	AECOM	$100,498	$48.32	418
   9	Bechtel Corporation	$98,695	$47.45	17
   10	Stantec	$98,648	$47.43	575
   11	Sheladia Associates	$96,896	$46.58	2
   12	Michael Baker	$96,628	$46.46	32
   13	GE Transportation	$93,741	$45.07
   14	Booz Allen Hamilton	$91,351	$43.92	34
   15	Trace Systems	$91,143	$43.82
   16	CACI International	$90,947	$43.72	47
   17	HNTB	$89,868	$43.21	204
   18	NuAxis Innovations	$89,552	$43.05	2
   19	Tetra Tech	$88,970	$42.77	59
   20	Innovative Emergency Management	$87,510	$42.07

4. Writing a deputy project manager job description

   A deputy 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a deputy project manager job description:

   Deputy project manager job description example

   
   Griffin & Strong, P.C. is a law and public policy consulting firm based in Atlanta, GA. For 25 years, we have delivered quality legal representation and consultative expertise to individual clients, small businesses, corporations, and government entities, and have developed a reputation as leaders in disparity studies and supplier diversity consulting. Our mission is to advance the economic development of the communities we serve by providing the highest quality professional services to our clients in both the public and private sectors.

   The role will require you to lead research projects and other projects from ‘planning’ all the way to ‘reporting’, ensuring that all research is technically well designed, resourced, implemented, reported and disseminated to the client and public on time and to budget. Furthermore, as a manager in the team you will play a key role in managing research and technical staff to ensure that we are delivering research to the highest standard. You will also be engaging public officials and involved in extensive community outreach, including local organizations and activists, council people, commissioners, and directors.

   Research and other work focus on disparity, diversity, equity and inclusion for private and governmental clients.

   
   

   • Leads research projects from the initial phase of planning to closeout
   • Ensures that all research is technically well designed according to GSPC’s methodology
   • Responsible for reporting to the client at regular intervals and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget.
   • Assists in the production of proposals as required by the Contract Administrator
   • Manages deliverables from internal technical staff, consultants, and local subcontractors on assigned projects
   • Maintains Subconsultant Guide, Style Guides for each project, and efficiently manages the production of deliverables
   • Works with a team of experts to produce a final document and contributes meaningfully to the production of findings and recommendations on each assigned study
   • Edits and proofreads all correspondence with clients and the public and any and all written deliverables on a project including chapters of the studies
   • Supports all members of the team in the production of disparity studies
   • Stays abreast of latest development in the fields of economic development, stakeholder engagement, disparity research, and public policy.

   
   

   Requirements

   This position requires a minimum of a B.A. or B.S. from an accredited University and 2+ years’ work experience in a related field. Degree in the Social Sciences preferred.

   The deputy project manager reports to the Senior Director of the Consulting Group, and to an assigned Project Manager, if applicable. The position requires strong writing skills and an understanding of qualitative and quantitative research. A candidate must have excellent project management skills, including planning and coordinating research and analysis with multi-disciplinary teams, and a track record of delivering findings on time, within budget and to a high standard.

   The deputy project manager must have experience in managing and motivating staff, be able to juggle multiple needs and deadlines and creatively solve problems.

   The role requires someone who is proactive, forward looking and solution oriented. In addition, the deputy project manager must have excellent communication skills and be able to translate data and analysis into implementable policy.

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with deputy project manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 deputy project manager

   Once you've found the deputy project manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new deputy 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.)

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