Government contractor vs project controls specialist

The differences between government contractors and project controls specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a government contractor and a project controls specialist. Additionally, a project controls specialist has an average salary of $85,159, which is higher than the $76,972 average annual salary of a government contractor.

The top three skills for a government contractor include cost accounting standards, financial statements and security clearance. The most important skills for a project controls specialist are project controls, project management, and work breakdown structure.

Government contractor vs project controls specialist overview

	Government Contractor	Project Controls Specialist
Yearly salary	$76,972	$85,159
Hourly rate	$37.01	$40.94
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	27,738	21,484
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

Government contractor vs project controls specialist salary

Government contractors and project controls specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Government Contractor	Project Controls Specialist
Average salary	$76,972	$85,159
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $118,000	Between $60,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Idaho
Best paying company	-	Google
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between government contractor and project controls specialist education

There are a few differences between a government contractor and a project controls specialist in terms of educational background:

	Government Contractor	Project Controls Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Government contractor vs project controls specialist demographics

Here are the differences between government contractors' and project controls specialists' demographics:

	Government Contractor	Project Controls Specialist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4%	Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between government contractor and project controls specialist duties and responsibilities

Government contractor example responsibilities.

Lead data migration effort from an unsecure network to an IRS secure network.
Manage and process a conversion of manual time keeping of jobs to an electronic system within Deltek.
Manage all logistics of shipping sensitive information, software and laptops to destinations overseas.
Identify and lead multiple self-identify audit issues on application portfolio management, password security and separation of duties.
Assist with the Govenor and Lt.
State of Nevada, EPA, etc . )

Project controls specialist example responsibilities.

Lead the alliance partners, wearing the GE hat, in the development and integration of the EPC schedule.
Manage retrofit projects for progressive stamping equipment.
Review MRP report, verify the demand and place orders.
Certify FSO responsible for facility security and personnel DOD clearance and security maintenance through JPAS.
Generate forecast for first period option for project and assist in tracking accruals to produce monthly cost report.
Reconcile and analyze actual expenditures, perform budget transfers, monitor trend status and maintain continuity of WBS structure.

Government contractor vs project controls specialist skills

Common government contractor skills

Cost Accounting Standards, 11%
Financial Statements, 9%
Security Clearance, 6%
Logistics, 6%
Payroll, 5%
DOD, 4%

Common project controls specialist skills

Project Controls, 12%
Project Management, 9%
Work Breakdown Structure, 6%
Primavera P6, 5%
Construction Management, 4%
Cost Control, 4%

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Government Contractor
Government Contractor vs Project Controls Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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