Project leader demographics and statistics in the US
Project leader demographics research summary. Zippia estimates project leader demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our project leader estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about project leaders after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 79,975 project leaders currently employed in the United States.
- 31.0% of all project leaders are women, while 69.0% are men.
- The average project leader age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of project leaders is White (67.7%), followed by Asian (12.0%), Hispanic or Latino (8.8%) and Black or African American (6.2%).
- Project leaders are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $126,263, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women project leaders earned 95% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for project leaders to live.
- Project leaders are 57% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Project leader demographics by:
Project leader gender statistics
31.0% of project leaders are women and 69.0% of project leaders are men.
- Male, 69.0%
- Female, 31.0%
Project leader gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 69.0% |
| Female | 31.0% |
Project leader gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$98,369
Female income
$93,601
Project leader gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in project leader positions over time. Currently, 31.0% of project leaders are female.
Project leader gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.86% | 19.14% |
| 2011 | 79.24% | 20.76% |
| 2012 | 80.62% | 19.38% |
| 2013 | 82.00% | 18.00% |
| 2014 | 80.45% | 19.55% |
| 2015 | 80.57% | 19.43% |
| 2016 | 81.97% | 18.03% |
| 2017 | 81.19% | 18.81% |
| 2018 | 71.07% | 28.93% |
| 2019 | 69.17% | 30.83% |
| 2020 | 70.06% | 29.94% |
| 2021 | 68.99% | 31.01% |
Project leader related jobs gender ratio
We compared project leaders with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Project Leader | 69% | 31% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Project leader demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among project leaders is White, which makes up 67.7% of all project leaders. Comparatively, 12.0% of project leaders are Asian and 8.8% of project leaders are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.7%
- Asian, 12.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.8%
- Black or African American, 6.2%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Project leader race
| Project leader race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.7% |
| Asian | 12.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.2% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Project leader race and ethnicity over time
See how project leader racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Project leader race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.09% | 9.39% | 10.78% | 7.43% |
| 2011 | 70.82% | 9.26% | 10.08% | 6.76% |
| 2012 | 68.23% | 9.76% | 11.84% | 7.55% |
| 2013 | 68.24% | 9.08% | 13.31% | 7.03% |
| 2014 | 68.30% | 8.60% | 13.45% | 6.77% |
| 2015 | 69.40% | 8.46% | 11.85% | 7.58% |
| 2016 | 68.76% | 7.94% | 12.50% | 7.70% |
| 2017 | 68.46% | 8.03% | 12.72% | 8.01% |
| 2018 | 72.30% | 6.27% | 11.30% | 7.41% |
| 2019 | 71.06% | 6.68% | 11.46% | 8.08% |
| 2020 | 68.88% | 6.11% | 11.53% | 8.82% |
| 2021 | 67.73% | 6.24% | 11.99% | 8.82% |
Project leader wage gap by race
According to our data, asian project leaders have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american project leaders have the lowest average salary at $95,194.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $97,140 |
| White | $97,867 |
| Black or African American | $95,194 |
| Asian | $105,919 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $96,089 |
Average project leader age
See how the average age of project leaders varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Project leader age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 45 |
| Unknown | 42 | 42 |
| Asian | 42 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 41 |
| White | 44 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 44 | 46 |
Project leader age breakdown
The average age of project leaders is 40+ years years old, representing 62% of the project leader population.
Project leader age breakdown
| Project Leader Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 62% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Project leader educational attainment
The most common degree for project leaders is bachelor's degree, with 68% of project leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Project leaders by degree level
| Project leader degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 68% |
| Master's | 18% |
| Associate | 7% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Project leader jobs you might like
Project leader wage gap by degree level
According to the data, project leaders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $115,261 annually. With a Doctorate degree, project leaders earn a median annual income of $114,223 compared to $103,779 for project leaders with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $115,261 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $103,779 |
| Doctorate Degree | $114,223 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $87,517 |
Project leader employment statistics
Most project leaders work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where project leaders work
Below, you can see the size of companies where project leaders work.
Project leader jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 2% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 3% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 7% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 19% |
| > 10,000 employees | 65% |
Project leader jobs by company type
Employees with the project leader job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most project leaders prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Project leader jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 57% |
| Private | 37% |
| Government | 2% |
Project leader jobs by industry
The most common industries for project leaders are technology, finance and professional.
Project leader industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fortune 500 | 26% |
| Technology | 16% |
| Finance | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
Project leader turnover and employment statistics
Project leader unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for project leaders between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Project leader unemployment rate by year
| Year | Project leader unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.08% |
| 2011 | 4.28% |
| 2012 | 4.87% |
| 2013 | 3.52% |
| 2014 | 3.32% |
| 2015 | 3.15% |
| 2016 | 2.86% |
| 2017 | 2.28% |
| 2018 | 2.52% |
| 2019 | 2.66% |
| 2020 | 3.94% |
| 2021 | 3.69% |
Average project leader tenure
The average project leader stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 42,633 project leaders resumes in Zippia's database.
Project leader tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 26% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Project leader LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of project leaders that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Communications Distribution Designer | 7.31% | 69,232 |
| Senior Business Analyst/Scrum Master | 8.42% | 84,408 |
| Senior Software Programmer | 8.46% | 252,355 |
| Network Security Consultant | 8.59% | 79,888 |
| Data Center Engineer | 9.03% | 178,277 |
| Project Leader | 10.54% | - |
| Level Senior Technician | 10.88% | 75,279 |
Similar project leader jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Communications Distribution Designer | 7.31% | 69,232 |
| Senior Business Analyst/Scrum Master | 8.42% | 84,408 |
| Senior Software Programmer | 8.46% | 252,355 |
| Network Security Consultant | 8.59% | 79,888 |
| Data Center Engineer | 9.03% | 178,277 |
| Level Senior Technician | 10.88% | 75,279 |
Foreign languages spoken by project leaders
The most common foreign language among project leaders is Spanish at 33.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 10.5%.
- Spanish, 33.5%
- French, 11.5%
- Chinese, 10.5%
- Mandarin, 9.7%
- German, 5.4%
- Other, 29.4%
Project leader languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 33.5% |
| French | 11.5% |
| Chinese | 10.5% |
| Mandarin | 9.7% |
| German | 5.4% |
| Other | 29.4% |
