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Job outlook for project managers-manufacturing in the United States
Project manager-manufacturing job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected project manager-manufacturing job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 7,100 new jobs for project managers-manufacturing are projected over the next decade.
Project manager-manufacturing salaries have increased 12% for project managers-manufacturing in the last 5 years.
There are over 24,585 project managers-manufacturing currently employed in the United States.
There are 96,301 active project manager-manufacturing job openings in the US.
The average project manager-manufacturing salary is $101,932.
Are project manager-manufacturing jobs in demand?
Project manager-manufacturing job and salary trends over time
Project manager-manufacturing jobs over time
Project manager-manufacturing job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24,585 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 23,625 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 24,178 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 23,555 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 22,342 | 0.01% |
Average project manager-manufacturing salary over time
Project manager-manufacturing salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $101,932 | $49.01 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $98,831 | $47.51 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $96,863 | $46.57 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $94,239 | $45.31 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $91,016 | $43.76 | +3.4% |
Project manager-manufacturing jobs by state
Most common states for project managers-manufacturing
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 298 | 43% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,713 | 31% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 382 | 28% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 164 | 26% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,658 | 24% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 181 | 24% |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,207 | 21% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 669 | 21% |
| 9 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 400 | 21% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,438 | 19% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,375 | 19% |
| 12 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,281 | 19% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 552 | 19% |
| 14 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,767 | 18% |
| 15 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,080 | 18% |
| 16 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 741 | 18% |
| 17 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 317 | 18% |
| 18 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 237 | 18% |
| 19 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,008 | 17% |
| 20 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,146 | 17% |
Most common cities for project managers-manufacturing
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Pere | 2 | 8% | $92,246 |
| 2 | Columbus | 1 | 4% | $102,073 |
| 3 | Melrose Park | 1 | 4% | $98,949 |
| 4 | Rolling Meadows | 1 | 4% | $98,905 |
| 5 | Hanover Park | 1 | 3% | $98,862 |
| 6 | Marlborough | 1 | 3% | $97,024 |
| 7 | Huntsville | 2 | 1% | $91,887 |
| 8 | Cary | 1 | 1% | $111,076 |
| 9 | Metairie | 1 | 1% | $87,114 |
| 10 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $122,053 |
| 11 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $90,719 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $94,572 |
| 13 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $99,004 |
| 14 | Henderson | 1 | 0% | $99,843 |
| 15 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $94,480 |
| 16 | Saint Louis | 1 | 0% | $86,431 |
Project Manager-Manufacturing job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of project manager-manufacturing experts
Ohio State University
Pennsylvania State University - Abington
Heidelberg University
University of Iowa
University of Maryland - College Park
Grand Valley State University
University of Minnesota Crookston
Penn State Behrend
Wofford College
Illinois State University
Northeastern University
Franklin and Marshall College
Binghamton University
Wichita State University
Dr. Laura Deeter PhD
Professor of Practice: Horticulture and Crop ScienceOhio State University
Applied Horticulture And Horticultural Business Services
What Project Manager-Manufacturing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Laura Deeter PhD: There are more than enough positions out there to find one with a good starting salary. Apply for as many as you can.
Be willing to relocate to another city or state.
What will help Project Managers-Manufacturing increase their earning potential?
Yi Yang PhD: First of all, be really good at what you do. Always negotiate for a higher salary based on your qualifications and market value. Additionally, consider exploring opportunities in management and actively contribute to strategic decision-making. Taking calculated risks, such as joining a startup, can also lead to valuable experiences and skill development that can enhance your earning potential in the long run.
What general advice would you give to a Project Manager-Manufacturing?
Yi Yang PhD: For new graduates beginning their careers in engineering, I would advise them to consider the broader impact of their work and look for opportunities to expand their management potential. While engineering is a highly technical field, it's important to recognize the value of leadership roles in preserving a culture of innovation. By taking on these positions, you can help ensure that companies prioritize long-term innovation over short-term gains (cutting R&D to boost the balance sheet), thus preserving the engineering culture that drives meaningful progress.
Dr. Trish Berg
Associate Professor of Management, Heidelberg University, Tiffin, OhioHeidelberg University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What Project Manager-Manufacturing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Trish Berg: Daily, project managers create plans, create work schedules, build, and motivate teams, assign, and track work from start to finish, set project setting scopes and budgets, create workflow plans, and define what key performance indicators (KPIs) are which is how they can measure project success. Project managers must be both people focused, and task focused. Successful project managers understand what Sinek calls the power of the why in order to successfully motivate teams towards success.
What skills stand out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Casey DeRoo Ph.D.: Rather than a concrete skill, previous experience in managing teams to accomplish engineering-related tasks is sure to make you a standout. Showcasing familiarity with work management software (e.g., Jira) or budget/total effort tracking systems is important. Find out what software the company you're seeking employment with uses, and be sure to highlight this if you're familiar with it.
Donald Yeung
Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Affiliate Professor, Computer Science DepartmentUniversity of Maryland - College Park
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
What skills stand out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Donald Yeung: A degree at a highly rated engineering school is always a plus. For example, the ECE dept at UMD has a good reputation among local employers as well as employers elsewhere, such as Silicon Valley. Many of our students go to companies in these areas, and so we have a reputation based on the quality of students that go out. I think employers know what they're getting. Beyond the school from which you receive your degree, your GPA is also important. How well you do in the program you come from is important, too, obviously. And employers also know about grade inflation or deflation at different schools, so they can calibrate any student's GPA against what experience they've had with previous students' records. Besides that, employers also look for experience outside of the degree program, so internships, research experiences, any significant project experience, etc., are also a real plus.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Project Managers-Manufacturing?
Donald Yeung: In terms of hard technical skills, I believe the courses students take along with their GPA in these courses is one level of demonstration. (As I mentioned above, employers know about our program probably down to specific courses, and so if someone gets an A+ in some notoriously challenging course, that's probably known and appreciated). Some employers will give technical interviews and require students to solve problems on their feet. But I think most employers will judge this based on a student's transcript.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Project Manager-Manufacturing job market given the pandemic?
Diane LaFreniere: The pandemic has created an enormous opportunity for students to understand the need for adaptability, positivity, and team work. For engineering students, this translates to a broader skillset with the depth and breadth of exposure to transition to interdisciplinary engineering roles that require a strong initiative and willingness to contribute in an individual and group capacity. For employees, this will require an increased awareness and desire to improve computer-related and communication skills to adapt to a flexible or remote work schedule, as well as assume greater responsibility in diverse capacities. For employers, this translates toward revised position descriptions and career paths and recruitment strategies to seek candidates who are equipped to navigate new directions and pivot into a variety of roles within the organization. At Grand Valley State University, we emphasize the need for a strong engineering core with greater specialization for students approaching graduation. The mandatory co-op program and senior capstone experience equips the students with the technical skillset necessary for interdisciplinary engineering teamwork, along with the essential skills necessary to conduct themselves professionally and become future engineering leaders.
What skills stand out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Rutherford Johnson Ph.D.: Well, familiarity and proficiency with the technology I just described is now important. I also always promote language as a highly valuable skill -- and if you are working internationally, even remotely, it is a definite skill that makes you stand out. Even though English is now the main international language, do not just rely on that if that is your main language. Knowing the language of your clients, for example, even just a little of it, can pay off and make you get noticed. It also helps you understand the culture and people of that country a lot better.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Managers-Manufacturing to find work opportunities?
Rutherford Johnson Ph.D.: With the remote working possibilities, graduates could work for a company in a big city without leaving their hometown. As for classic jobs with relocation involved, that really depends on the field. For international business, the major international and finance cities such as New York, Boston, and Atlanta are always significant -- though with definite cost of living problems. My advice is to look everywhere and be willing to give a city or region you never thought of living in a try. The less-traveled path can often lead to great success.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Project Managers-Manufacturing?
Phil Stuczynski: Yes, and no. On the one hand, we can look back to something as recent as the "Great Recession" from a little over a decade, and in some ways we are still seeing the impact from that generation. Rather than graduates being able to step into a strong entry level position in a desired field, you had many individuals who literally would take any job that was available. And, while it was admirable for individuals to go into a job (something is better than nothing), if you find yourself in a different career path or even in a job that may not need as much training in the skills you specifically went to school for, it can make an improper fit.
Now, the good news here is that students who have been trained in economics, or many business students in general tend to understand the broader vantage point of business. In times like these, even if unemployment starts to creep up, there will be businesses climbing over one another to try and secure talent that can understand data. Certain computer skills, forecasting skills, drawing connections between differing levels of business, any every other combination of resource and household management will be useful to a business.
So, will there be an impact? Perhaps. Jobs are probably just a bit more difficult to come by right now as compared to even one calendar year ago. That being said, many universities have continued to not only have students positioned well so they can plug right in and be effective remotely, but many of those students are as good or better with the technology and software as those in the private sector.
What type of skills will young Project Managers-Manufacturing need?
Phil Stuczynski: Hitting just a few of the big ones, computer skills are going to be as important as ever. We have seen individuals in many fields embrace the idea of technology. Supply chains are being tested, and with that comes the financial capacity to build those facilities and shipping routes. International skills including trade and negotiations will be key. And truly any of the numbers from data analysis, to software that helps understand and manipulate said data, and especially financial and accounting. The long story short is probably three major skills.
1) Communication (with people and computers / software). 2) Analysis (economic at the macro level, and business specific / financial / accounting at the micro level). and 3) Self learning. As we have seen through this pandemic, we have seen processes, systems, products, and entire operations literally change overnight in response to biological threats, supply chains being broken, or by government decree. Individuals who can adapt on the fly and go find a new solution (even if it means they need to teach themselves the system, teach themselves the technology or software, teach themselves the coding, etc.), those are the types of graduates that employers are not just going to like, but are actively looking for.
What experience really stands out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Phil Stuczynski: Currently? I think a big one is going to be being flexible, showing you are able to adapt, and having any example of continuing to push through during these recent times.
We have had students who have literally been stuck. They have been in an apartment or a dormitory hours (or countries) away from home. And yet they still managed. They still did their coursework, they learned new software on the fly, they felt comfortable asking more questions than ever and even teaching themselves more as needed.
When we go back to something such as the great financial crisis, you had individuals who would sort of get burnt out when searching for a job. And to be fair, who could blame them. This was a strained economy and even the most qualified of candidates were hard pressed to find employment coming out of college when you had people with decades of experience competing just to continue bringing a paycheck in. However, you also had some individuals who would do what was necessary. For example I am keenly aware of an individual student I had years ago who was qualified for almost any job in a normal economy. That being said, he took a job with a bank where his degree wasn't even required. He was overqualified and knew it, but he would rather get experience than just sit around and do nothing. Fast forward a few years and he was not only at that bank only a short time before being promoted, but he used that promotion to move into yet a higher role later and has continued to enjoy success he may not have had if he was just waiting on a good job to come along.
What I'm saying is, the parallels here are through no fault of their own, students are going to enter an economy where things aren't as normal as they were just weeks before. This is going to sort itself out, but the students who push forward and adapt and just do something will stand out compared to those who sit on the sidelines and wait. Anything that highlights they are flexible and able to work in the face of disjointed operations or new limitations will not just find themselves being sought after, but because businesses need employees who can make quick changes on the fly more than ever, those students who can prove they can do it? They're going to be the ones who get ahead.
Dr. Smriti Bhargava Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of EconomicsWofford College
Economics Department
What skills stand out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Dr. Smriti Bhargava Ph.D.: I think skills of data analysis in addition to knowledge of software programs (through prior experience in terms of a research project with a faculty member or an internship) will stand out on a resume as college graduates search for jobs. Such experience signals abilities of quantitative reasoning and critical thinking, which are highly valued. In addition, good communication skills, both written and verbal, are extremely important.
Randy Jacobs
Instructional Assistant Professor, Construction Management, Professional Practice CoordinatorIllinois State University
Department of Technology
What type of skills will young Project Managers-Manufacturing need?
Randy Jacobs: Many of the skill sets will remain the same: problem solving, communication and leadership. CM graduates are accustomed to being mobile moving from job to job and working at off-site locations. But some of those skill sets will be put to the test as the need for more "digital presence" is required of companies and construction projects.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Project Manager-Manufacturing job market given the pandemic?
Ravi Sarathy Ph.D.: Growth in global supply chain and their management, AI and cloud-based software development and solutions, in areas such as global payments, and crowdfunding, and healthcare, using remote healthcare counseling and links to healthcare monitoring devices, developed in global innovation teams, as well as home healthcare combining remote personnel with intelligent health monitoring devices. And more broadly, a significant increase in remote working, on a global scale and through global virtual collaboration.
What Project Manager-Manufacturing skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.: Gap years are interesting to me. There is a difference between someone who has ample monetary resources and voluntarily decides to take a "gap" year to travel the world, as opposed to someone who involuntarily takes a "gap" year because they legitimately cannot find a job.
For students who opt not enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, I would recommend that they utilize this time in a strategic fashion, primarily expanding their network, increasing their skills related to data analytics/analysis, and reading or researching within the broader business field as well as their particular field of interest. Expanding your network is always beneficial because of the value employers place on referrals. If students do not know where to start, I would recommend they join their applicable professional organization and begin attending events (virtual events can still help build relationships).
While specific job duties may differ, the ability to understand and utilize data is in high demand in virtually every job role. Having comfort with data-both quantitative and qualitative--can be a highly beneficial skill that many in the job market may not have to offer.
I also recommend continued reading and researching, as whenever you do enter the workforce you want to know what is going on. I am never surprised, but always disappointed when I ask my students if they heard the latest job numbers or if they saw a recent news article. It is hard to articulate your value to an organization's problems if you are unaware of what they are. Stay current.
Interestingly, I would not recommend that someone enroll in a graduate program simply to take up time. If you just love school, have a clear focus, or had already planned to enroll in graduate school prior to COVID, then proceed. However, if you are unsure about your interests or future career goals, enrolling in a graduate program may be a large investment of time and money that may not result in securing a job of interest upon completion.
Denise Lorenzetti
Director of Binghamton University's Fleishman Center for Career and Professional DevelopmentBinghamton University
Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development
What skills stand out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Denise Lorenzetti: Employers have been placing a large emphasis on finding candidates with skills that demonstrate the ability to utilize technology and demonstrate adaptability, resilience and taking initiative.
Tech skills such as programming, coding, and Excel continue to be valuable to employers for both tech and non-tech roles.
Employers are also interested in learning how graduates spent their time during the pandemic. If internships were not an option, continuing to build skills through online classes such as LinkedIn Learning or Coursera, virtually volunteering, and demonstrating to employers a commitment to growing during the pandemic is critically important.
Job seekers can demonstrate this by earning microcredentials and digital badges relevant to the industry they are interested in or in areas they are passionate about.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Project Managers-Manufacturing to find work opportunities?
Denise Lorenzetti: This will vary from industry to industry.
Many organizations have seen success with the transition of jobs to a virtual environment. It is uncertain how things will progress, however we anticipate there to be less of an emphasis on geographic region as a part of the job search than pre-pandemic. The pandemic has opened up opportunities for new graduates to find opportunities that traditionally were only available in large metropolitan areas such as Silicon Valley or NYC.
Many companies are still providing flexibility with working from home and/or not needing to be physically located in the city where the position resides. Some are work-from-home indefinitely and others are offering the flexibility to telecommute more than physically being in a location every day.
Large cities will likely continue to be a major hub for industries that will continue to require in-person jobs, such as healthcare roles.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Project Manager-Manufacturing job market given the pandemic?
Denise Lorenzetti: It is likely to see a continuation of remote job opportunities even after the pandemic is resolved. Many positions that have been successfully moved to remote options may in fact stay remote, depending on the employer.
The pandemic has increased the number of jobs available in specific industries and decreased the amount in others.
Industries and fields that have and will likely continue to grow include:
Supply chain/logistics and positions related to production, distribution, and selling of goods such as e-commerce
Technology and industries that help support businesses such as software, developers, artificial intelligence.
Healthcare
Biotechnology
The service industries were affected by the pandemic, making these positions harder to come by. This would include entertainment, travel, lodging, and full-service restaurants among others.
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWichita State University
School of Accountancy, Barton School of Business
What experience really stands out on Project Manager-Manufacturing resumes?
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.: Employers are looking for people who can integrate in multi-disciplinary environments to solve complex problems. They are looking for resumes that show quick learning. Such resumes will permanently be in great demand. Because the world is interconnected much more than it ever was, employees today will deal with customers, supply-chains, and fellow employees who are spread all over the world. It means that an experience that showcases the global perspective will be in demand over the long-term.