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Project development director salary

Average project development director salary

$109,241

$52.52 hourly rate

Entry-level project development director salary
$69,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Project Development Director Salaries

The Project Development Director oversees the planning and execution of projects, ensuring they align with organizational goals. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position stands at $109,241 annually, translating to approximately $53 per hour. Salaries vary significantly by state and industry, with higher wages typically found in metropolitan areas.

In addition to base salary, compensation may include bonuses and benefits, enhancing the total earnings package. Experience plays a crucial role in salary determination, with seasoned professionals commanding higher pay. Project Development Directors in industries like technology and construction may see increased salaries due to the demand for specialized skills.

To maximize earning potential, aspiring Project Development Directors should consider gaining experience in project management, budgeting, and strategic planning. Networking within the industry and acquiring certifications can also provide an edge in salary negotiations.

Salary Insights by State

  • Highest Paying States: California, New York, and Texas often offer the most lucrative opportunities.
  • Industry Comparisons: Exploring various fields can lead to higher salaries.
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Where can a Project Development Director earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
157k
137k
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57k
Columbus, OH$141,205
Midvale, UT$87,019
Compare salary by company
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245k
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Brixmor Property Group$218,073
Maryland Transportation Authority$95,008

Project development director salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Ziprecruiter and Payscale, the average salary for a project development director typically falls between $101,736 and $142,500.
zippia
$109,241yearly
ZipRecruiter[1]
$142,500yearly
payscale[2]
$101,736yearly

Average project development director salary by state

The highest-paying states for project development directors are Hawaii, California, and Nevada. The lowest average project development director salary states are Illinois, South Carolina, and Wyoming.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for project development directors

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Nevada$119,446$57.43
2Ohio$114,168$54.89
3Hawaii$140,942$67.76
4Michigan$114,421$55.01
5Pennsylvania$115,913$55.73
6New Mexico$106,323$51.12
7Arizona$114,019$54.82
8California$129,352$62.19
9Texas$111,854$53.78
10Louisiana$102,477$49.27
11Rhode Island$117,753$56.61
12Alaska$109,778$52.78
13District of Columbia$118,147$56.80
14New Hampshire$109,782$52.78
15Iowa$97,901$47.07
16Montana$105,194$50.57
17New Jersey$112,325$54.00
18Washington$114,879$55.23
19New York$112,270$53.98
20Wisconsin$98,532$47.37
21Minnesota$96,404$46.35
22Massachusetts$107,708$51.78
23West Virginia$97,184$46.72
24Delaware$109,802$52.79
25Mississippi$91,982$44.22
26Alabama$91,198$43.85
27North Carolina$102,298$49.18
28Oregon$100,505$48.32
29South Dakota$88,668$42.63
30Arkansas$84,243$40.50
31Indiana$90,371$43.45
32Virginia$100,974$48.55
33Florida$95,805$46.06
34Oklahoma$84,035$40.40
35Connecticut$100,417$48.28
36Kentucky$88,590$42.59
37Tennessee$84,186$40.47
38Colorado$98,925$47.56
39Idaho$90,003$43.27
40Missouri$85,611$41.16
41Maryland$95,382$45.86
42Georgia$83,217$40.01
43North Dakota$78,181$37.59
44Maine$87,734$42.18
45Kansas$80,916$38.90
46South Carolina$81,909$39.38
47Nebraska$72,890$35.04
48Utah$87,925$42.27
49Vermont$87,855$42.24
50Wyoming$81,600$39.23
51Illinois$82,488$39.66
Top project development director jobs near you

Highest paying cities for project development directors

The highest-paying cities for project development directors are Urban Honolulu, HI, San Francisco, CA, and Las Vegas, NV.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Urban Honolulu, HI$141,205$67.89
2San Francisco, CA$136,223$65.49
3Las Vegas, NV$120,902$58.13
4Washington, DC$118,559$57.00
5Providence, RI$117,998$56.73
6Seattle, WA$116,600$56.06
7Austin, TX$114,094$54.85
8New York, NY$112,615$54.14
9Boston, MA$107,801$51.83
10Arlington, VA$101,913$49.00
11Charlotte, NC$100,975$48.55
12Norwalk, CT$100,286$48.21
13Portland, OR$99,692$47.93
14Racine, WI$98,864$47.53
15Denver, CO$98,608$47.41
16Fort Myers, FL$98,304$47.26
17Saint Louis Park, MN$96,363$46.33
18Portland, ME$88,361$42.48
19Chesterfield, MO$87,111$41.88
20Midvale, UT$87,019$41.84

Project development director salary details

A project development director's salary ranges from $69,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $171,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average project development director salary graph
Average project development director salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a project development director's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$171,000$14,250$82
75th Percentile$138,000$11,500$66
Average$109,241$9,103$53
25th Percentile$86,000$7,167$41
10th Percentile$69,000$5,750$33

Highest paying project development director jobs

The highest paying types of project development directors are development vice president, director of project management, and business development director.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Program Manager$96,084$8,007$46.19197,556
Call Center Manager$37,614$3,134$18.08123,791
Consultant/Project Manager$100,754$8,396$48.44213,963
Program/Project Manager$101,850$8,488$48.97243,017
Director$113,489$9,457$54.56230,711
Director Of Project Management$126,958$10,580$61.04200,498

Top companies hiring project development directors now:

  1. Family Dollar jobs (2)
  2. The AES jobs (2)
  3. Florida Power and Light jobs (6)
  4. AMSURG jobs (3)
  5. Covance jobs (2)

Which companies pay project development directors the most?

Project development director salaries at Brixmor Property Group and NextEra Energy are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project development director salary at companies like Prologis and Georgetown University are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Brixmor Property Group$218,073$104.84
2Florida Power and Light $136,950$65.84
3Prologis$135,221$65.01
4Georgetown University$130,673$62.82
5Sound Transit$113,879$54.75
6Con Edison$113,422$54.53
7Kiewit$112,009$53.85
8Partners Advantage Insurance Services$110,527$53.14
9Morehouse School of Medicine$109,794$52.79
10Nexamp$106,722$51.31
11Con Edison Development$106,679$51.29
12Fulcrum BioEnergy$106,670$51.28
13CleanCapital$106,093$51.01
14Cushman & Wakefield$105,947$50.94
15Savage$105,875$50.90
16juwi Americas$103,905$49.95
17dck worldwide$103,595$49.81
18Black & Veatch$98,083$47.16
19Anthology$97,685$46.96
20Maryland Transportation Authority$95,008$45.68

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$111,000$108,800$106,600$104,400$102,200$100,000
MaleFemale

Project Development Director salary by industry

The average project development director salary varies across industries:

  • The average project development director salary in the hospitality industry is $127,359, the highest of any industry.
  • The average project development director salary in the finance industry is $120,496.
  • Project development directors in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $85,690, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for project development directors

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Hospitality$127,359$61.23
2Energy$120,496$57.93
3Health Care$115,708$55.63
4Technology$115,318$55.44
5Construction$109,558$52.67
6Non Profits$85,690$41.20

High paying project development director jobs

Project development director salary trends

The average project development director salary has risen by $13,448 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project development director earned $95,793 annually, but today, they earn $109,241 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for project development directors over the last decade.

Compare project development director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average project development director salary over time

Compare project development director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Project development director salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$109,000$52.52+4.1%
2024$105,000$50.38+1.3%
2023$103,000$49.73+1.7%
2022$102,000$48.86+0.6%
2021$101,000$48.57+0.1%

Recently added project development director salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
American ExpressDirector, Project Controls, Property DevelopmentNew York, NY06/19/2025$130,000
Kraus-Anderson IncorporatedDirector, Project Planning & DevelopmentMadison, WI06/16/2025$115,000
KainsuranceDirector, Project Planning & DevelopmentMadison, WI06/16/2025$115,000
Cushman & WakefieldDirector, Project & Development ServicesCincinnati, OH05/28/2025$170,000
American ExpressDirector, Project Controls, Property DevelopmentNew York, NY05/24/2025$130,000
Trillium Health ResourcesIT Project Development DirectorBoone, NC05/24/2025$111,512
Antora EnergyDirector of Project DevelopmentSan Jose, CA05/03/2025$213,000
Metropolitan Transportation CommissionDirector Project DevelopmentNew York, NY04/28/2025$133,065
174 Power GlobalDirector, Project DevelopmentIrvine, CA04/28/2025$190,000
Antora EnergyDirector of Project DevelopmentSan Jose, CA04/28/2025$213,000

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