How to hire a freelance project manager

How to hire a freelance project manager, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the freelance project manager you need to hire. Certain freelance project manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

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

   Type of Freelance Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Freelance Project Manager	Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.	$20-53
   Construction Superintendent	A construction superintendent's role is to oversee all construction plans and operations, ensuring quality completion within a specified timeframe. Some of their responsibilities are to inspect all sites, coordinate with contractors and engineers, manage the budget and expenditure, purchase necessary materials and equipment, and make schedules... Show more	$29-59
   General Contractor	The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement... Show more	$19-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Website Development
   • Project Management
   • Video Production
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • HTML
   • Art Directors
   • Photography
   • Database
   • Autocad
   • Graphic Design
   • SQL Server
   • SEO
   • CSS
   • Website Design

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the VIP entrance of Capitale, NYC.
   • Manage onshore and offshore developers, creative agency, and QA teams.
   • Manage photography of product packaging.
   • Perform problem resolution, cost recovery, manage inventory of network components, direct RFP process for procurement of telecommunications services.
   • Lead QA testing of Facebook apps, websites and all other client work.
   • Used JQuery and JavaScript for banner photo rotation, zoom control, time/date display on webpage.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your freelance project manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A freelance project manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, freelance project managers' average salary in indiana is 52% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level freelance project managers earn 62% less than senior-level freelance project managers.
   • Certifications. A freelance project manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a freelance project manager's salary.

   Average freelance project manager salary

   $70,357yearly

   $33.83 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level freelance project manager salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

4. Writing a freelance project manager job description

   A job description for a freelance project manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a freelance project manager job description:

   Freelance project manager job description example

   Freelance Project Manager (Account Director level)
   
   Detroit, MI
   
   The Role:
   
   We are looking for a Freelance Project Manager (Account Director level) to join BCW and WPP's North America team for a leading F100 Automotive client. This highly visible position offers the opportunity to work on this client with a matrixed cross-functional team on multiple project workstreams.
   
   This role will be responsible for helping clients achieve successful deliverables around an exciting and innovative line of new automobiles.
   
   The ideal candidate will be highly organized, have solid project management skills, and have the ability to streamline ongoing projects across various workstreams.
   
   What is the work?
   
   This role will be supporting the Communications Lead for our automotive F100 client in North America in all aspects of the business. This could include but not be limited to:
   
   Monitoring progress on projects to ensure that deliverables are met
   
   Coordination of asset and content creation
   
   Managing the writer(s) assigned to the team
   
   Working with Marketing team to determine if assets are already created, need to be created or if it is something the Communications team will be responsible for
   
   Ensuring all deliverables from an asset/content creation perspective are done on a timely manner
   
   Responsible for coordinating agency calls and agendas
   
   Managing additional client requests as needed
   
   Experience that contributes to your success:
   
   5+ years of previous experience, ideally in an agency setting
   
   Excellent project and team management skills with a proven ability to plan and prioritize work to meet commitments and identify, secure, and employ resources needed to achieve results
   
   Ability to manage complex relationships diplomatically and consultatively
   
   Ability to think innovatively to develop creative solutions and new programs that are persuasive and can influence audiences
   
   Team player, ready to roll up their sleeves in a collaborative environment
   
   Desire to work in a diverse and inclusive organization as an active participant in culture initiatives, training opportunities and employee resource groups
   
   About BCW:
   
   BCW is part of WPP's global, multi-faceted, multi-talented creative engine, with access to countless opportunities to grow.
   
   BCW's commitment to moving people starts with our employees. You'll find ways to ignite your growth while doing meaningful work for exceptional clients in an environment that prioritizes your success, compels collaboration and celebrates learning. We're committed to moving our people forward in their careers and helping them grow as people and professionals.
   
   We wholly believe that our diversity is our strength and feeds the creativity critical to success, so Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (I.D.E.A.) are embedded into everything we do for our people, agency, clients and the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from talent across all dimensions of race/ethnicity and the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, differently abled and veteran communities.
   
   For more information, visit (url removed).
   
   BCW is an Equal Opportunity Employer, EEO, AAE, MF/Disability/Vet, and we are proud of our diverse workforce.
   
   Our organization participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.
   
   

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right freelance project manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your freelance project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit freelance 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 freelance 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 freelance project manager

   Once you've found the freelance 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new freelance project manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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