How many years of college do you need to be an engagement manager?

You need a minimum of two years of college to be an engagement manager. In order to be an engagement manager, you will need a bachelor's degree in either business or marketing, which will take you roughly two years.

How much do customer engagement managers make?

Customer engagement managers make $95,000 a year. A customer engagement manager, on average, makes $95,000 a year, with salaries ranging anywhere between $77,000 up to $115,000. Customer engagement managers are responsible for creating and maintaining business relationships with customers while also searching for new clients.

How much does an engagement manager at McKinsey make?

An engagement manager at McKinsey makes $175,000 a year. McKinsey & Company is the largest management consultancy in the world, and as such, pays their employees handsomely. McKinsey Engagement Managers in the United States may earn up to $250,000 per year in salary, with a $175,000 base and up to $77,000 in performance bonuses.

What makes a good engagement manager?

A good engagement manager is a personable leader with good communication skills. An engagement manager's unwavering goal needs to be helping their customers succeed. The sole purpose of an engagement manager is to ensure that both the firm they work for and the client they are servicing are satisfied. By raising up clients through their work, an engagement manager is also raising up their firm.

What is an engagement manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

An engagement manager handles client relationships and ensures successful project delivery. They act as a liaison between clients and teams, overseeing the project lifecycle from planning to execution. The engagement manager communicates progress to clients and ensures that their needs are met. They also identify growth opportunities within existing accounts and build long-term relationships with clients. Additionally, engagement managers may be responsible for budgeting and forecasting. Overall, an engagement manager promotes satisfaction and drives success.

What's a day at work look like for an engagement manager?

Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

Program Director & Assistant Professor, Maryville University

A bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders can prepare you for three different tracks. First, it can prepare you to become a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA). This is someone who works under a fully credential speech-language pathologist. Often times, they carryout intervention plans developed by a fully credentialed speech-language pathologist. If graduate school is on your horizon, a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders will prepare you for acceptance into a Speech-Language Pathology program, or an Audiology program. If you are not accepted into a graduate program right away, working as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) is a great way to get experience in the field!

ScoreEngagement ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.9

Avg. Salary $112,413

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 15.40%

Black or African American 6.67%

Hispanic or Latino 10.01%

Unknown 5.20%

White 62.51%

Gender

female 38.73%

male 61.27%

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

What are the pros and cons of being an engagement manager?

Pros

High earning potential with commission and bonuses
Opportunities for career advancement in consulting firms
Collaborate with talented colleagues on challenging projects
Work-life balance can be good depending on the firm and project
Opportunity to build a strong professional network

Cons

High pressure to meet deadlines and exceed client expectations
Long hours and intense workload, especially during peak periods
Risk of burnout due to high stress and workload
Limited control over work schedule and location due to client needs
Job security can be uncertain depending on the firm and market conditions

Key steps to become an engagement manager

Explore engagement manager education requirements

Most common engagement manager degrees

Bachelor's

69.9 %

Master's

21.8 %

Associate

4.6 %

Start to develop specific engagement manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	8.71%
Analytics	6.90%
Customer Service	5.46%
Healthcare	5.25%
Digital Transformation	4.58%

Complete relevant engagement manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New engagement 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 an engagement manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real engagement manager resumes.

Gain additional engagement manager certifications

Engagement manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific engagement manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for engagement managers include Project Management Professional (PMP) and ITIL Foundation.

More About Certifications

Research engagement manager duties and responsibilities

Lead implementation services team for ITSM SaaS solution through deployment of ServiceNow.
Create and manage project plan & schedule; monitor project status throughout the SDLC.
Manage customer interactions and relationship building with support staff, managers, and c-level executives.
Manage all the environments and play key role performance test SME for the entire program.

Prepare your engagement manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your engagement 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 an engagement 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 engagement manager resume templates

Build a professional engagement 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 engagement manager resume.

Apply for engagement manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an engagement 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 engagement managers rate their job?

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Engagement manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024

Pros

You can apply a diverse set of skills and help across many areas

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021