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Project liaison vs project manager

The differences between project liaisons and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $81,451 average annual salary of a project liaison.

The top three skills for a project liaison include project management, sigma and logistics. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Project liaison vs project manager overview

Project LiaisonProject Manager
Yearly salary$81,451$91,578
Hourly rate$39.16$44.03
Growth rate-8%
Number of jobs72,701167,116
Job satisfaction-4.17
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

What does a project liaison do?

Project liaisons communicate effectively between multiple team members and stakeholders. The job will require persuasiveness, approachability, likeability, adaptability, and skills in project management in order to do well in this career choice. Those who choose this career path will be a capstone team's main organizational contact, with time devoted to the project depending on the project's scope.

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Project liaison vs project manager salary

Project liaisons and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project LiaisonProject Manager
Average salary$81,451$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $144,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CityWilmington, DESan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandCalifornia
Best paying companyLogistics Management InstituteThe Citadel
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between project liaison and project manager education

There are a few differences between a project liaison and a project manager in terms of educational background:

Project LiaisonProject Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Project liaison vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between project liaisons' and project managers' demographics:

Project LiaisonProject Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 49.4% Female, 50.6%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between project liaison and project manager duties and responsibilities

Project liaison example responsibilities.

  • Manage logistics and conduct initial train-the-trainer events and certification processes.
  • Focuse on continuously improving existing processes, including managing SharePoint files and recommending improvements to digital architecture.
  • Implement a repeatable process methodology base on the PMI PMBOK defining a systematic approach to delivering solutions and achieving customer objectives.
  • Install dry-wall, floors, doors, and windows.
  • Act as plant POC for engineering changes.
  • Work with QA on sample preparations for the global markets.
  • Show more

Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
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Project liaison vs project manager skills

Common project liaison skills
  • Project Management, 28%
  • Sigma, 12%
  • Logistics, 8%
  • Operational Aspects, 6%
  • IPT, 4%
  • SharePoint, 4%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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