Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between project managers and senior project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior project manager has an average salary of $110,947, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a project manager include project management, project scope and customer service. The most important skills for a senior project manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Project Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $91,578 | $110,947 |
| Hourly rate | $44.03 | $53.34 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 167,116 | 183,210 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.17 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Senior project managers are experienced employees assigned to oversee a specific project in the organization. They manage the project from conception to execution. They are onboard the project from the ideation phase, providing valuable insights to ensure the success of the project. Senior project managers are also in charge of managing the budget, ensuring that the expected timelines are followed, adjusting strategies when needed, and guiding project team members. It is important for senior project managers to be good leaders and communicators. They should be able to balance the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the project. They should have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.
Project managers and senior project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $91,578 | $110,947 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $129,000 | Between $82,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project manager and a senior project manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project managers' and senior project managers' demographics:
| Project Manager | Senior Project Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |