How to hire a junior project manager

How to hire a junior project manager, step by step

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

What does a junior project manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the junior project manager you need to hire. Certain junior 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 junior project manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, junior 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 junior project managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Junior Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Project Manager		$17-48
   Project Manager/Scrum Master	Project 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
   Information Technology Project Manager	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... Show more	$36-71

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • SharePoint
   • Project Scope
   • Project Documentation
   • Microsoft Project
   • Jira
   • Visio
   • Status Updates
   • PMO
   • Smartsheet
   • SDLC
   • Meeting Minutes
   • HR
   • Client Facing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the RFP process; successfully acquiring key service providers for each program site
   • Develop and manage key partnerships to promote public health messages of multiple campaigns for CDC and NIH.
   • Plan and manage a series of short films about international students and their experiences in the UK.
   • Have got appreciations from clients and onsite leads constantly for the deadlines meet, and work done in general.
   • Collaborate and lead development of SharePoint sites and successfully complete all testing phases with developer.
   • Manage a SalesForce data migration to consolidate ValueClick and GrayStripe accounts, contracts and documentation.

   More junior project manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, junior project managers' average salary in florida is 45% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level junior project managers 64% less than senior-level junior project managers.
   • Certifications. A junior 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 junior project manager's salary.

   Average junior project manager salary

   $60,672yearly

   $29.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level junior project manager salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average junior project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$76,587	$37
   2	Rhode Island	$76,221	$37
   3	District of Columbia	$76,204	$37
   4	Maryland	$72,589	$35
   5	New York	$72,328	$35
   6	Michigan	$70,050	$34
   7	Massachusetts	$69,495	$33
   8	Pennsylvania	$65,825	$32
   9	New Jersey	$64,989	$31
   10	Virginia	$62,696	$30
   11	North Carolina	$59,456	$29
   12	Washington	$59,252	$28
   13	Arizona	$56,705	$27
   14	Colorado	$55,173	$27
   15	Texas	$54,496	$26
   16	Illinois	$54,277	$26
   17	Minnesota	$51,070	$25
   18	Arkansas	$49,889	$24
   19	Georgia	$49,822	$24
   20	Florida	$43,818	$21

   Average junior project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Credit Suisse	$120,767	$58.06
   2	Technip USA Corporation	$120,246	$57.81
   3	BlackRock	$110,545	$53.15	3
   4	Bloomberg	$104,024	$50.01
   5	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$102,330	$49.20	17
   6	Ascendum	$98,780	$47.49
   7	Elemica	$98,663	$47.43
   8	Hexaware Technologies	$95,713	$46.02	3
   9	Persistent Systems	$94,917	$45.63
   10	HCL Technologies	$91,441	$43.96	3
   11	Data	$90,008	$43.27
   12	Icreon	$89,256	$42.91
   13	Nomura Securities	$86,605	$41.64	2
   14	Ogilvy	$85,226	$40.97
   15	AIG	$84,394	$40.57
   16	BGC Partners	$84,362	$40.56
   17	Noblis	$84,272	$40.52	11
   18	Zensar Technologies	$84,147	$40.46	2
   19	Alpha Consulting	$83,799	$40.29
   20	Battelle	$82,932	$39.87	5

4. Writing a junior project manager job description

   A junior 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 junior project manager job description:

   Junior project manager job description example

   The Project Manager, Design is a key member of the Construction & Design team at Eataly, taking a lead role in driving and delivering on the Company's North American growth plans. The Project Manager, Design is responsible for project oversight, internal and external client interactions, on-site management and regular visits to key project locations, timeline and schedule management, specification and procurement of FF&E, coordinating and supervising trades/vendors, materials deliveries, and overall quality control. The PM, Design works closely with the PM, Constructions and the Senior Managers, Design.
   Reports to the Director of Design
   
   • Contributes to building the project schedule, is responsible for keeping the project on schedule during execution and reporting on such schedule
   • Contributes to developing the preliminary project budget and following iterations, and is responsible for maintaining and reporting on such budget during execution
   • Manages all stages starting from design, budgeting and pre-construction to construction and project closeout
   • Prepares scope documents for directing design, budgeting and internal/external coordination efforts
   • Where applicable, participates in the selection process of architects/contractors/subcontractors or other third parties, and is responsible for onboarding them
   • Develops schematic designs and, in collaboration with the Design Team, leads the design development process with or without the support of external architects and consultants
   • Oversees procurement and tracking of materials and equipment. Ensures a timely release of purchase orders and delivery on-site of such purchases, in collaboration with the Logistics Team
   • Ensures ongoing communication with the Finance Team in relation to vendors' payment schedule
   • Monitors and directs the performance of general contractor and/or subcontractors during construction phase
   • Ensures each project adheres to legislation, standards and codes of best practice
   • Conducts kickoff, department review and executive review meetings on renovation projects on a regular basis
   • Acts as a trade union between different teams in corporate and in the stores for a successful delivery of each project
   • Performs other duties as required or assigned

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit junior project managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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.

   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 junior project manager

   Once you've selected the best junior project manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new junior 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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How much does it cost to hire a junior project manager?