How to hire a project administrator

How to hire a project administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step project administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a project administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new project administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a project administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your project administrator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a project administrator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   Here's a comparison of project administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Project Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Administrator		$15-39
   Project Manager	Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation... Show more	$30-62
   Project Officer	A project officer provides vital support to a project by monitoring deadlines for each project task and closely monitors the project schedule. They work with the project manager and other team members to reach the project target... Show more	$19-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Purchase Orders
   • Customer Service
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Entry
   • Assist Project
   • Project Documentation
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Project Administration
   • Excellent Organizational
   • SharePoint
   • Administrative Functions
   • Financial Reports
   • Office Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead organization in achieving ISO 9000 certification, which lead to future certification under both ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
   • Manage and execute the SharePoint business integration implementation project and become the corporate governance portal administrator.
   • Manage quality assurance checks for FDA and internal audits which result in no documentation/information error and successful completion of the audits.
   • Create and execute SQL to query DB2 databases.
   • Compose, prepare, proofread, edit and publish department correspondence.
   • Coordinate in creation and execution of QA and testing processes, test strategies and plans.

   More project administrator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, project administrators' average salary in montana is 45% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level project administrators earn 60% less than senior-level project administrators.
   • Certifications. A project administrator 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 project administrator's salary.

   Average project administrator salary

   $52,862yearly

   $25.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project administrator salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average project administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$72,140	$35
   2	New York	$69,219	$33
   3	District of Columbia	$69,171	$33
   4	Massachusetts	$65,850	$32
   5	Maine	$60,869	$29
   6	Pennsylvania	$58,293	$28
   7	North Carolina	$56,832	$27
   8	Indiana	$55,748	$27
   9	Ohio	$55,280	$27
   10	California	$55,250	$27
   11	Arizona	$54,031	$26
   12	Illinois	$53,631	$26
   13	Oregon	$52,121	$25
   14	South Carolina	$52,075	$25
   15	Michigan	$51,224	$25
   16	Washington	$51,062	$25
   17	Georgia	$50,997	$25
   18	Texas	$50,969	$25
   19	Florida	$49,646	$24
   20	Missouri	$49,004	$24

   Average project administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Urban Institute	$105,714	$50.82
   2	IBM	$105,519	$50.73	81
   3	Harvard University	$88,346	$42.47
   4	RS&H	$86,930	$41.79	22
   5	Twilio	$86,264	$41.47
   6	Clark Construction Group	$84,045	$40.41	59
   7	The Juilliard School	$83,641	$40.21	2
   8	Gallup	$82,799	$39.81
   9	MWH Americas Inc	$82,411	$39.62	16
   10	Microexcel	$82,284	$39.56
   11	Jacobs Engineering Group	$81,646	$39.25
   12	CDM Smith	$81,440	$39.15	646
   13	Arcadis	$80,666	$38.78	58
   14	New York University	$80,326	$38.62	8
   15	Curtiss-Wright	$79,885	$38.41	45
   16	Arup	$79,100	$38.03	2
   17	Hill International	$78,278	$37.63	26
   18	Gannett Fleming	$77,746	$37.38	39
   19	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$76,443	$36.75	17
   20	AECOM	$76,219	$36.64	325

4. Writing a project administrator job description

   A job description for a project administrator 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 project administrator job description:

   Project administrator job description example

   Hill is hiring a Project Administrator FDOT CEI experience to join our team in Orlando / Jacksonville, Florida.
   Responsibilities
   
   A Civil Engineering degree or related PE License in Florida plus two (5) years of engineering experience in construction of major road or bridge structures, or for non-degreed personnel eight (8) years of responsible and related engineering experience, two (2) years of which involved construction of major road or bridge structures. FDOT Advanced MOT CTQP Final Estimates Level II CTQP Quality Control Manager Full Covid-19 vaccination is recommended. Mandatory vaccinations are subject to client requirements.
   
   Qualifications
   
   To be in primary control the Deputy Area Manager must have supervised two or more projects as well as two or more support staff (Office Manager, Compliance Officer, and Secretary) and Inspector, must have been directly responsible for all CEI / FDOT services assigned. Directs and assigns specific tasks to inspectors and assists in all phases of the construction project. Will be responsible for the progress and final estimates throughout the construction project duration.
   
   About Us
   
   Hill International is an international construction consulting firm that provides program and project management, construction management, cost engineering and estimating, quality assurance, inspection, scheduling, risk management and claims avoidance to clients involved in major construction projects worldwide. Hill has participated in over 10,000 project assignments with a total construction value of more than $600 billion. Hill is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HIL), and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (www.hillintl.com)
   
   Hill International is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Minority/Female/Veteran/Disabled
   
   Note : This job description is intended to provide an indication of the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions to be carried out as part of fulfilling the role mentioned in the job title. Various other duties as required.
   
   IER Right to Work Poster
   
   E-Verify Participation Poster

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right project administrator 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 project administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit project administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting project administrators 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.

   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 project administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect project administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 project administrator. 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 a project administrator?