How To Become A Project Developer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a project developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Craig Tidwell Ph.D.,

Kevin Treu Ph.D.

A project developer is an industry-specific personnel who uses his/her expertise to research, plan and finish a project. For example, in real estate, he/she is tasked with surveying land, designing building blueprints, and overseeing site construction. Due to their versatility, project developers can be found in almost any industry. In business, his/her responsibility is to find locations for company expansion or discover effective marketing strategies for a new product. Their job involves site development, team creation, construction, financing, marketing, and management.

Positions for project developers require a bachelor's degree in a related discipline with at least a year of experience. As an applicant for the position, you must have experience using GIS software, project management software, and CAD packages. You must be proficient in Microsoft Office. Also, you need a valid driver's license and may be required to travel. You will earn an average annual salary of $78,281, which is between $43,000 and $142,000.

What general advice would you give to a project developer?

Craig Tidwell Ph.D.

Professor/Program Manager, Seminole State College of Florida

Students who are graduating with a degree in computer and information systems should focus on being lifelong learners. The most challenging, and sometimes frustrating, aspect of a career in information technology is that it is always changing. Employers are also looking for employees that can work well with others, especially in teams. Having a good understanding of the development and design process, and project management (DevOps) is a plus. Currently, there is a high demand for graduates with cloud and information security knowledge and skills.

ScoreProject DeveloperUS Average

Salary

7.0

Avg. Salary $89,766

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.88%

Black or African American 4.50%

Hispanic or Latino 8.25%

Unknown 4.82%

White 52.39%

Gender

female 31.49%

male 68.51%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a project developer

Explore project developer education requirements

Most common project developer degrees

Bachelor's

68.2 %

Master's

17.9 %

Associate

7.3 %

Start to develop specific project developer skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Development	12.96%
Renewable Energy	11.76%
Project Management	11.53%
HVAC	5.39%
PowerPoint	4.96%

Complete relevant project developer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project developers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project developer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project developer resumes.

Research project developer duties and responsibilities

Develop detailed Unix shell and Perl scripts to automate complex but repetitive configuration management operations in ClearCase.
Fix existing bugs, including image polishing using Photoshop, CSS issues and JavaScript browser compatibility issues.
Handle JavaScript for validation of forms (and contents) and URL base redirection of pages.
Optimize and fine tune complex PL/SQL packages, SQL queries using TKPROF and other SQL tuning techniques.

Prepare your project developer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project developer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project developer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable project developer resume templates

Build a professional project developer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your project developer resume.

Apply for project developer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a project developer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do project developers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Project developer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Cons

Strict deadlines, and stakeholders. Feeling undervalued or underappreciated.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

I enjoy problem-solving and identifying a path to completing a complex project. I like to ensure that moving parts come together smoothly and communicating successes and celebrating with the team.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019