How to hire a project management assistant

How to hire a project management assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step project management assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a project management assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new project management assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a project management assistant do?

Post a project management assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the project management assistant you need to hire. Certain project management assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A project management assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, project management assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents project management assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Project Management Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Management Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-53
   Project Manager Internship	In a project management internship, an intern's duties will depend on the directives of a supervisor or staff. They typically perform support tasks in an office, such as organizing and preparing files, handling calls and correspondence, greeting visitors, disseminating documents as needed, and running errands... Show more	$14-23
   Project Management Internship	When it comes to a project management internship, the tasks may vary on the organization or industry where one is involved. However, the primary duties are to provide administrative support by accomplishing tasks ranging from performing research and analysis, responding to inquiries and concerns, assisting in data entry and record-keeping, producing reports, and managing schedules... Show more	$12-20

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Purchase Orders
   • Financial Reports
   • Assist Project
   • Meeting Minutes
   • ISO
   • Office Equipment
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Expense Reports
   • Payroll
   • Status Reports
   • Construction Projects
   • SharePoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Process submittals, RFI, subcontract change orders, manage project correspondence, track project documents, closeout documentation.
   • Manage quality assurance checks for FDA and internal audits which result in no documentation/information error and successful completion of the audits.
   • Print and make changes to AutoCAD drawings and convert drawings to Visio when request.
   • Perform manual QA testing for new and update work orders.
   • Create high-level flowcharts in Visio to streamline database design and process flows.
   • Document expeditor, schedule updates and reviews, write and track RFI progress, track issues.

   More project management assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the project management assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A project management assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a project management assistant in Idaho may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level project management assistant. Additionally, a project management assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average project management assistant salary

   $56,789yearly

   $27.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project management assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average project management assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$86,883	$42
   2	California	$80,730	$39
   3	District of Columbia	$77,020	$37
   4	New Jersey	$74,268	$36
   5	Maryland	$72,479	$35
   6	New York	$70,853	$34
   7	Illinois	$70,109	$34
   8	Virginia	$69,218	$33
   9	Pennsylvania	$68,464	$33
   10	Texas	$64,122	$31
   11	Washington	$58,894	$28
   12	Oregon	$58,325	$28
   13	Arizona	$58,000	$28
   14	Ohio	$55,765	$27
   15	Florida	$50,471	$24
   16	Utah	$49,253	$24
   17	Indiana	$49,017	$24
   18	Colorado	$48,500	$23
   19	Tennessee	$47,317	$23
   20	Louisiana	$46,390	$22

   Average project management assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Novartis	$112,114	$53.90	5
   2	Eli Lilly and Company	$110,019	$52.89	17
   3	Ch2M Hill	$107,824	$51.84	7
   4	IBM	$105,391	$50.67	144
   5	Parexel International	$102,605	$49.33	71
   6	Medtronic	$99,557	$47.86	9
   7	Rockwell Automation	$78,753	$37.86	7
   8	Spirit AeroSystems	$77,973	$37.49
   9	Northrop Grumman	$72,568	$34.89	52
   10	SAMSUNG SDS	$67,789	$32.59
   11	EMCOR Group	$66,827	$32.13	199
   12	Akorbi	$65,051	$31.27
   13	Day & Zimmermann	$63,084	$30.33
   14	Magna International	$60,780	$29.22	5
   15	Keller	$59,645	$28.68	10
   16	Bonland Industries	$56,786	$27.30
   17	ALDI USA	$56,478	$27.15
   18	Keller Group	$54,751	$26.32
   19	Inframark	$54,751	$26.32
   20	Huntington Ingalls Industries	$54,751	$26.32	31

4. Writing a project management assistant job description

   A job description for a project management assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a project management assistant job description:

   Project management assistant job description example

   JBI Interiors Company is currently hiring for a full-time Project Management Assistant to help coordinate our manufacturing projects in the Long Beach, CA area. This position earns a competitive salary of $55,000+/year , depending on experience.

   In addition to competitive pay and our supportive culture , we offer our Project Management Assistants the following benefits:

   • Health
   • Dental
   • Paid time off (PTO)
   • A 401(k), vacation time
   • Flexible work schedules
   • Bonus opportunities

   So, now that you've learned the who, what, where, and why, you may be wondering HOW? It's easy! Just fill out our initial mobile-friendly online application . We hope to meet you soon!

   
   

   DAY-TO-DAY

   As an assistant project manager, you provide valuable support to our project manager as you help coordinate and oversee project completion. You are motivated to continuously improve your skills and knowledge so you can take on more responsibility in the future. Every day, you assist our project manager with essential tasks such as reviewing project drawings and scopes. You manage both internal and external communications, maintaining a helpful and professional attitude whether you're speaking with clients, vendors, or coworkers.

   As we complete projects, you check in with the manufacturing department and follow up on their progress to ensure everything is on schedule. When directed, you perform other project management duties as well. You feel great about helping our projects stay on track, on schedule, and on budget!

   
   

   ABOUT JBI INTERIORS COMPANY

   Our commercial interior manufacturing company began in 1969 when our founder created his first restaurant interior. Today, we manufacture a variety of interiors including architectural millwork, upholstery, and metal, for a wide range of clients such as restaurants, hospitals, and schools. We have been prioritizing customer satisfaction since the very beginning, and it shows through the strong, lasting partnerships we've made over the decades. Our goal is to continuously think of fresh, innovative ideas that improve our systems and create better experiences for our clients.

   Our success comes from building a strong, capable team of dedicated employees that feel trusted and valued. We provide an open, collaborative work environment where team members can share ideas and learn from each other. When you work for us, you also enjoy competitive compensation and generous benefits . Join us in creating appealing interiors that people will remember!

   
   

   OUR IDEAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT

   • Ambitious--works hard to accomplish goals
   • Dependable--is trustworthy and reliable
   • Detail-oriented--pays close attention to small details
   • Communication skills--communicates effectively through both verbal and written means
   • Team-player--is respectful of coworkers and values the teamwork mentality

   If this sounds like you, keep reading!

   
   

   REQUIREMENTS

   • College degree in either construction or project management, a related field, OR 5 years of relevant work experience

   If you meet the above requirements, we need you. Apply today to join our team as an assistant manufacturing project manager!

   Location: 90810

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find project management assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any project management assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level project management assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your project management assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit project management assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit project management assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new project management assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the project management assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a project management assistant?