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The differences between project managers and contract 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 $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.
The top three skills for a project manager include project management, project scope and customer service. The most important skills for a contract project manager are project management, project scope, and contract project.
| Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $91,578 | $81,263 |
| Hourly rate | $44.03 | $39.07 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 167,116 | 159,765 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.17 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 8 |
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.
A contract project manager is an executive professional who provides project management and business analysis to fill the needs of an organization. Contract project managers are required to monitor and inspect contract projects to maintain a high level of safety and quality traffic control in highly variable conditions. They assist contract project administration with the review of project progress reports. Contract project managers must also manage the relationship between clients and the organization while monitoring the progress of the project to ensure that it complies with the terms of the corporate contract.
Project managers and contract project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $91,578 | $81,263 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $129,000 | Between $53,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | PRO Unlimited |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a project manager and a contract project manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between project managers' and contract project managers' demographics:
| Project Manager | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |