How To Become A Project Officer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a project officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Matthew Gilbert,

Brian Starr Ph.D.

Project officers primarily manage the logistics of an entire project, including administrative and technological aspects. They meet with a project manager to review progress and discuss future steps. They also maintain crucial project documents in an appropriate database or library, and they ensure that all documents are accurate and have been accepted by the project manager. Project managers earn a median sum of $68,000 annually or $33 per hour.

Project officers develop and manage the budget for each project while managing and facilitating the flow of essential information among company team members. They develop insightful analytical tools used by strategy owners to inform resource requests, execution decisions, strategy choices, and potential tradeoff needs. They also assist strategy teams in utilizing calibrating inputs and interpreting outputs.

Project officers typically hold a bachelor's or master's degree in business, project management, or a related field. Although it is possible to gain employment in entry-level positions without formal qualifications, many employers prefer individuals with an academic background. Candidates for this position are expected to have some experience as a project coordinator and complete a qualification in project management.

What general advice would you give to a project officer?

Matthew Gilbert

Lecturer of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University

The unique circumstances caused by COVID-19 have impacted every area of our lives. New graduates will likely find themselves in a more challenging situation than was the case previously. Given this, I encourage graduates who are just beginning their careers to be ACES: adaptive, communicative, effective, and supportive. ACES is a slang term meaning being highly regarded; in the context of the suggested acronym, consider the following explanation.

Adaptive: Remain open to top unexpected opportunities. Venturing into a new normal requires flexibility and openness; this could mean taking a job that wasn't considered, but recognizing it could yield skills, connections, and experience that could be useful in future endeavors.

Communicative: Leverage LinkedIn to network professionally and politely for opportunities, but don't connect with someone and immediately ask for a job. Call your contacts and catch up without a specific agenda; you never know what ideas might emerge. Email individuals, you respect for insights and advice.

Effective: Make use of your time to learn new skills or acquire certifications that demonstrate the value you can add to an organization. Consider volunteering for a cause close to your heart; it makes you feel better, but you could connect personally and/or professionally with new people.

Supportive: Finding a job in a normal year is challenging enough, but in a pandemic, it's an entirely different experience. Keep in contact with your friends and fellow graduates; even a short message asking how they're doing or inviting them to a social distance coffee together could brighten a day you didn't know was dark for someone else.

ScoreProject OfficerUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $59,291

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 8.96%

Black or African American 7.60%

Hispanic or Latino 12.74%

Unknown 4.70%

White 65.35%

Gender

female 34.48%

male 65.52%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Complexity level

1.8

Complexity level is simple

7 - challenging

Key steps to become a project officer

Explore project officer education requirements

Most common project officer degrees

Bachelor's

63.3 %

Master's

21.8 %

Associate

6.6 %

Start to develop specific project officer skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	17.80%
Technical Assistance	9.30%
Press Releases	7.02%
Project Proposals	6.97%
Logistical Support	5.85%

Research project officer duties and responsibilities

Lead project to create a PMO data warehouse for analysts to track, validate, analyze and manage day-to-day portfolio activities.
Manage repository of SharePoint site to update and monitor inventory.
Lead multiple projects, including developing a SharePoint information portal.
Manage quality assurance checks for FDA and internal audits which result in no documentation/information error and successful completion of the audits.

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