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How to hire an information technology project manager

Information technology project manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring information technology project managers in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire an information technology project manager is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per information technology project manager on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 443,211 information technology project managers in the US, and there are currently 207,249 job openings in this field.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for information technology project managers, with 329 job openings.

How to hire an information technology project manager, step by step

To hire an information technology project manager, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an information technology project manager:

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

What does an information technology project manager do?

An information technology project manager is responsible for supervising the technology department, ensuring that all tasks are being done by following technological strategies and solutions. Information technology project managers' duties include monitoring the technology team's daily operation, handling team members' concerns, managing customers' inquiries and complaints, helping team members' in achieving their professional growth, creating reports, sharing updates during team and board meetings, and maintaining effectivity of operational procedures. An information technology project manager must have excellent leadership and decision-making skills to decide on the best strategies in meeting the company's objectives.

Learn more about the specifics of what an information technology project manager does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The information technology 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?

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

    This list presents information technology project manager salaries for various positions.

    Type of Information Technology Project ManagerDescriptionHourly rate
    Information Technology Project ManagerAn Information Technology Project Manager is focused on planning, initiating, and managing information technology (IT) projects. They organize and manage all phases of the project to ensure on-time completion.$36-71
    Project Manager/Scrum MasterProject Managers or scrum masters are experienced employees who lead an agile team. They are in charge of managing a specific project in terms of the agile model... Show more$33-61
    Project Manager/Team LeadProject Managers are responsible for managing and overseeing the operations of a project from inception to completion. Their duties include defining project scope, developing a project plan, creating work breakdown structures to distribute resources, and communicating responsibilities to all project team members and vendors... Show more$39-66
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Project Management
    • Infrastructure
    • Scrum
    • Software Development
    • Project Scope
    • Risk Management
    • Technical Support
    • Excellent Organizational
    • Manage Cross
    • Customer Service
    • Technical Program Management
    • Status Reports
    • Jira
    • Excellent Interpersonal
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage schedules, payroll, and customer relations for all subordinates.
    • Prepare detailed work breakdown structures (WBS) and instill shared accountability for achieving project milestones.
    • Project hardware and software resources are manage through accurate control of notebook, desktop and remote server master build configurations.
    • Manage change windows and verify impact to production environment.
    • Manage Java development team in translating functional specifications into J2EE application.
    • Manage approximately twenty small/medium EDI projects simultaneously for national medical insurance providers for transportation.
    More information technology project manager duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the information technology project manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. An information technology 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 an information technology project manager in Maine may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level information technology project manager. Additionally, an information technology project manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average information technology project manager salary

    $106,981yearly

    $51.43 hourly rate

    Entry-level information technology project manager salary
    $76,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average information technology project manager salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$134,449$65
    2Washington$110,737$53
    3Virginia$104,450$50
    4New York$103,660$50
    5District of Columbia$102,143$49
    6New Jersey$100,111$48
    7Pennsylvania$97,939$47
    8Massachusetts$97,348$47
    9Arizona$97,203$47
    10North Carolina$95,315$46
    11Texas$94,539$45
    12Connecticut$94,262$45
    13Ohio$91,516$44
    14Michigan$91,472$44
    15Illinois$91,308$44
    16Georgia$90,727$44
    17Kentucky$88,656$43
    18Mississippi$87,388$42
    19Minnesota$86,838$42
    20Wisconsin$86,414$42

    Average information technology project manager salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Reed Smith$198,560$95.46
    2Waymo$173,641$83.4812
    3Mayo Clinic$172,772$83.0627
    4Airbnb$171,755$82.573
    5Flexport$169,759$81.61
    6Netflix$166,765$80.1810
    7Lyft$165,626$79.635
    8Pure Storage$165,266$79.4516
    9The Walt Disney Company$164,754$79.2173
    10Credit Karma$164,556$79.11
    11Meta$163,713$78.71563
    12DoorDash$162,472$78.1113
    13Apple$162,452$78.1063
    14McKinsey & Company Inc$162,048$77.91
    15Boston Consulting Group$161,948$77.8635
    16Grubhub$161,932$77.852
    17Safeway$161,043$77.42
    18StubHub$160,874$77.341
    19Twitter$159,172$76.531
    20Cloudflare$158,982$76.435
  4. Writing an information technology project manager job description

    An information technology 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. Below, you can find an example of an information technology project manager job description:

    Information technology project manager job description example

    Starbucks works with strategic licensed partners who play a key role in advancing our enterprise Growth at Scale Agenda by expanding our global reach and building the brand. In the retail space, Starbucks serves customers in 83 markets globally, throughout our 34,000 retail locations. Approximately 60% of ourinternational footprint is operated by our licensed partners, collectively running over 10,000 stores. This means that nearly one in three Starbucks stores is an international licensed store and one in four baristas is employed by our licensees.

    As a member of Starbucks International Technology Team , you will play a key role in transforming the way we engage with our licensed partners to protect and uphold the Starbucks brand across the globe, while alsoguiding them towards compliance to our Global Licensing Framework (GLF) technology standards. This role is a unique position that touches multiple areas of the technology, from standards and compliance governance to technology roadmaps and system implementations.

    As program manager - Latin America and Caribbean , you will be responsible for establishing strong personal and technical engagement with the Licensee technology teams, ensuring consistent engagement and brand standards. You will be accountable to align technology product roadmaps with functional business needs, licensee retail technology and operations, and the Global Licensing Framework (GLF) to ensure the delivery of compliant technology solutions across all LAC markets. You will be responsible for collecting functional, market, and licensee requirements and sharing with product owners and GLF stakeholders. Responsible for managing key suppliers and working closely with internal cross functional teams to plan and execute deployments of both hardware and software technology solutions to the LAC market.

    Summary of Key Responsibilities Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:
    • Serves as primary point of contact for LAC regional and licensee teams, acts as liaison between licensee technology teams and product owners within Starbucks. Acts as an advocate for the LAC region'sportfolio of work.
    • Responsible for contributing to a shared strategic vision for delivering a holistic experience to our licensees by working closely with International and LAC regional cross functional teams and understanding their goals & roadmaps.
    • Deep familiarity of regional vendors used by Starbucks & licensees
    • Consults with the sponsoring business units in the development of a clearly articulated vision, mission, business case, and resulting Program Charter for the program. Works cross-functionally with businessand Technology partners, Licensee teams, suppliers, and other teams to ensure successful execution of the program. Ensures projects within the program comply with established GLF standards.
    • Develops an integrated plan that includes program deliverables, strategic alignment, total revenue, profit opportunity, enterprise-wide impacts, milestones, risks, assumptions, constraints and overall program investment. Updates program plans, priorities, and project sequencing as needed.
    • Ensures all project teams working on the program understand and work toward accomplishing the business vision, goals and objectives of the program. Analyzes and evaluates project interdependencies and their impacts to the program. Recommends and implements program improvements to meet changing mission parameters and requirements.
    • Monitors project execution to ensure that key milestones and financial parameters are met and that projects are delivered effectively to achieve the overall goals and objectives of the program. Communicates program status to participants and stakeholders accurately and on time. Escalates to ensure issues are resolved, as needed. Ensures program governance is met.
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find information technology 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 information technology project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit information technology project manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting information technology project managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with an information technology project manager applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

    • TestDome
    • CodeSignal
    • Testlify
    • BarRaiser
    • Coderbyte

    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 information technology project manager

    Once you have selected a candidate for the information technology 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new information technology 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 an information technology project manager?

Recruiting information technology project managers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $106,981 per year for an information technology project manager, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for information technology project managers in the US typically range between $36 and $71 an hour.

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