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Project executive salary
Average project executive salary
$123,391
Understanding Project Executive Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Project Executive in the United States is approximately $123,391 annually. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, Project Executives in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
In addition to base salary, many Project Executives receive bonuses and other benefits, enhancing their overall compensation package. Industries such as construction, IT, and manufacturing offer the highest-paying positions for Project Executives. With the growing complexity of projects, the demand for skilled professionals in this role continues to rise.
Career Opportunities
Project Executives play a crucial role in leading teams, managing budgets, and ensuring project goals are met. This position is well-suited for individuals with a background in project management or related fields. Opportunities for advancement are prevalent, with potential to move into senior management roles.
- Key Skills: Leadership, strategic planning, budgeting.
- Industries: Construction, technology, manufacturing.
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Where can a Project Executive earn more?
Project executive salary estimates from across the web
Average project executive salary by state
The highest-paying states for project executives are Alaska, Washington, and Hawaii. The lowest average project executive salary states are North Dakota, Colorado, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for project executives
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $148,265 | $71.28 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $145,254 | $69.83 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $135,246 | $65.02 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $140,042 | $67.33 |
| 5 | Michigan | $140,486 | $67.54 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $136,863 | $65.80 |
| 7 | Ohio | $135,636 | $65.21 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $140,527 | $67.56 |
| 9 | Montana | $137,696 | $66.20 |
| 10 | Alaska | $168,598 | $81.06 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $144,141 | $69.30 |
| 12 | Missouri | $122,842 | $59.06 |
| 13 | Texas | $126,211 | $60.68 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $135,244 | $65.02 |
| 15 | Georgia | $121,859 | $58.59 |
| 16 | Maryland | $135,989 | $65.38 |
| 17 | Iowa | $125,111 | $60.15 |
| 18 | Idaho | $119,707 | $57.55 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $147,434 | $70.88 |
| 20 | Kansas | $119,940 | $57.66 |
| 21 | Arizona | $124,951 | $60.07 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $125,905 | $60.53 |
| 23 | Nevada | $117,575 | $56.53 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $120,636 | $58.00 |
| 25 | Delaware | $126,699 | $60.91 |
| 26 | California | $138,255 | $66.47 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $119,180 | $57.30 |
| 28 | Virginia | $118,314 | $56.88 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $107,998 | $51.92 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $112,068 | $53.88 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $113,509 | $54.57 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $113,247 | $54.45 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $112,245 | $53.96 |
| 34 | New York | $123,916 | $59.58 |
| 35 | Oregon | $119,402 | $57.40 |
| 36 | Illinois | $110,129 | $52.95 |
| 37 | Maine | $108,077 | $51.96 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $100,104 | $48.13 |
| 39 | Alabama | $109,317 | $52.56 |
| 40 | Indiana | $106,808 | $51.35 |
| 41 | Vermont | $110,481 | $53.12 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $108,849 | $52.33 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $103,360 | $49.69 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $99,696 | $47.93 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $105,322 | $50.64 |
| 46 | Utah | $95,899 | $46.11 |
| 47 | Colorado | $99,760 | $47.96 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $100,568 | $48.35 |
| 49 | Florida | $104,808 | $50.39 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $99,590 | $47.88 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $96,808 | $46.54 |
Highest paying cities for project executives
The highest-paying cities for project executives are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Newton, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $155,163 | $74.60 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $147,085 | $70.71 |
| 3 | Newton, MA | $141,541 | $68.05 |
| 4 | Grand Rapids, MI | $141,345 | $67.95 |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | $140,606 | $67.60 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $138,259 | $66.47 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $136,299 | $65.53 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $136,134 | $65.45 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | $131,433 | $63.19 |
| 10 | Albany, NY | $129,846 | $62.43 |
| 11 | Bristol, PA | $126,702 | $60.91 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $126,137 | $60.64 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $125,565 | $60.37 |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $122,939 | $59.11 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $121,503 | $58.41 |
| 16 | Portland, OR | $121,119 | $58.23 |
| 17 | Arlington, VA | $119,009 | $57.22 |
| 18 | Raleigh, NC | $114,816 | $55.20 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $110,900 | $53.32 |
| 20 | Fort Myers, FL | $107,103 | $51.49 |
Project executive salary details
A project executive's salary ranges from $79,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $191,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a project executive's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $191,000 | $15,917 | $92 |
| 75th Percentile | $155,000 | $12,917 | $75 |
| Average | $123,391 | $10,283 | $59 |
| 25th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 10th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
Highest paying project executive jobs
The highest paying types of project executives are director of project management, associate director, and senior project manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Manager | $96,084 | $8,007 | $46.19 | 197,556 |
| Consultant/Project Manager | $100,754 | $8,396 | $48.44 | 213,963 |
| Operations Project Manager | $90,352 | $7,529 | $43.44 | 210,582 |
| Facilities Project Manager | $76,480 | $6,373 | $36.77 | 116,673 |
| Director Of Project Management | $126,958 | $10,580 | $61.04 | 200,498 |
| Contract Project Manager | $81,263 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 159,765 |
Top companies hiring project executives now:
Which companies pay project executives the most?
Project executive salaries at Eckardt Group and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project executive salary at companies like Lighthouse Electric and Oculus are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eckardt Group | $180,687 | $86.87 |
| 2 | $178,744 | $85.93 | |
| 3 | Lighthouse Electric | $169,067 | $81.28 |
| 4 | Oculus | $166,234 | $79.92 |
| 5 | Rockford Construction | $165,527 | $79.58 |
| 6 | Rycon Construction | $164,221 | $78.95 |
| 7 | HITT Contracting | $164,053 | $78.87 |
| 8 | Beck | $163,265 | $78.49 |
| 9 | Abbott Clinic | $161,562 | $77.67 |
| 10 | Balfour Beatty plc | $160,059 | $76.95 |
| 11 | Kaufman Lynn Construction | $158,988 | $76.44 |
| 12 | Callahan | $158,474 | $76.19 |
| 13 | Lendlease | $157,351 | $75.65 |
| 14 | Suffolk Construction | $156,860 | $75.41 |
| 15 | Blinderman Construction | $156,455 | $75.22 |
| 16 | Shawmut Design and Construction | $156,402 | $75.19 |
| 17 | Graycor | $153,619 | $73.86 |
| 18 | Skanska | $153,592 | $73.84 |
| 19 | Haskell | $152,530 | $73.33 |
| 20 | Carmel Partners, Inc. | $146,487 | $70.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Project executive salary trends
The average project executive salary has risen by $15,191 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project executive earned $108,200 annually, but today, they earn $123,391 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for project executives over the last decade.
Compare project executive salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average project executive salary over time
Compare project executive salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Project executive salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $123,000 | $59.32 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $118,000 | $56.90 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $117,000 | $56.17 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $115,000 | $55.19 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $114,000 | $54.86 | +0.1% |
Recently added project executive salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightcore Energy | Project Executive (Geothermal Construction Operations) | Armonk, NY | 06/29/2025 | $200,000 |
| Solv Energy, LLC | EPC Project Executive, Utility Scale Solar (Remote-South Central Region) | Dallas, TX | 06/29/2025 | $168,632 |
| Gilbane | Project Executive | Albany, NY | 06/27/2025 | $154,800 |
| Thermo Systems | Project Executive | Downe, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $160,000 |
| Solv Energy, LLC | Energy Storage Project Executive | Ione, OR | 06/27/2025 | $185,000 |
| Balfour Beatty Construction | Project Executive | Long Beach, CA | 06/26/2025 | $190,000 |
| All-Side Roofing & Restoration | Project Head-Roofing & Exterior | Dayton, OH | 06/26/2025 | $35,479 |
| Zenobe Energy | Head of Projects-US EV | Naperville, IL | 06/26/2025 | $165,000 |
| Kiewit | Project Executive-Market Strategy | Seattle, WA | 06/25/2025 | $185,000 |
| Kiewit | Project Executive-Market Strategy 1 | Denver, CO | 06/25/2025 | $185,000 |
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