Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Manager, Project Director stands at $104,614 annually. This translates to approximately $50 per hour. The role requires strong leadership skills, effective communication, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, making it essential in various sectors.
Managers in states like California, New York, and Texas often report higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand in specific industries. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $120,000, highlighting the regional discrepancies in pay.
Industries such as technology, construction, and healthcare typically offer higher salaries for project directors. For instance, those working in technology may find opportunities that start at $110,000, reflecting the high demand for skilled project managers.
Whether you are just starting or looking to advance, understanding the salary landscape can help you negotiate effectively and choose the right opportunities. Explore job openings today to find your ideal role!
Let Zippia find your next manager, project director job
Let Zippia find your next manager, project director job
The highest-paying states for managers, project director are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The lowest average manager, project director salary states are Minnesota, Florida, and South Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $129,936 | $62.47 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $115,176 | $55.37 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $129,699 | $62.36 |
| 4 | New York | $118,913 | $57.17 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $122,934 | $59.10 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $106,624 | $51.26 |
| 7 | Washington | $102,066 | $49.07 |
| 8 | Delaware | $113,898 | $54.76 |
| 9 | Montana | $104,397 | $50.19 |
| 10 | Maryland | $106,497 | $51.20 |
| 11 | California | $110,758 | $53.25 |
| 12 | Virginia | $101,647 | $48.87 |
| 13 | Iowa | $103,181 | $49.61 |
| 14 | Texas | $96,420 | $46.36 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $93,798 | $45.10 |
| 16 | Nevada | $96,995 | $46.63 |
| 17 | Idaho | $97,668 | $46.96 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $101,154 | $48.63 |
| 19 | Michigan | $94,407 | $45.39 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $94,259 | $45.32 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $89,297 | $42.93 |
| 22 | Alabama | $90,287 | $43.41 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $97,501 | $46.88 |
| 24 | Vermont | $94,581 | $45.47 |
| 25 | Ohio | $93,258 | $44.84 |
| 26 | Maine | $96,074 | $46.19 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $89,294 | $42.93 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $88,517 | $42.56 |
| 29 | Illinois | $94,687 | $45.52 |
| 30 | Oregon | $90,882 | $43.69 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $90,085 | $43.31 |
| 32 | Arizona | $93,413 | $44.91 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $89,973 | $43.26 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $89,829 | $43.19 |
| 35 | Utah | $89,770 | $43.16 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $86,898 | $41.78 |
| 37 | Colorado | $92,473 | $44.46 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $89,049 | $42.81 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $73,885 | $35.52 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $87,784 | $42.20 |
| 41 | Kansas | $88,376 | $42.49 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $84,286 | $40.52 |
| 43 | Missouri | $86,875 | $41.77 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $82,129 | $39.49 |
| 45 | Alaska | $85,567 | $41.14 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $77,530 | $37.27 |
| 47 | Indiana | $84,601 | $40.67 |
| 48 | Georgia | $84,623 | $40.68 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $76,575 | $36.81 |
| 50 | Florida | $79,859 | $38.39 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $79,473 | $38.21 |
The highest-paying cities for managers, project director are Boston, MA, Hartford, CT, and Albany, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $131,832 | $63.38 |
| 2 | Hartford, CT | $124,300 | $59.76 |
| 3 | Albany, NY | $120,972 | $58.16 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $119,752 | $57.57 |
| 5 | Jersey City, NJ | $116,012 | $55.77 |
| 6 | Dover, DE | $113,841 | $54.73 |
| 7 | Annapolis, MD | $106,675 | $51.29 |
| 8 | Concord, NH | $106,538 | $51.22 |
| 9 | Helena, MT | $104,608 | $50.29 |
| 10 | Carson City, NV | $102,999 | $49.52 |
| 11 | Seattle, WA | $102,356 | $49.21 |
| 12 | Des Moines, IA | $102,238 | $49.15 |
| 13 | Harrisburg, PA | $100,465 | $48.30 |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | $96,924 | $46.60 |
| 15 | Charleston, WV | $95,797 | $46.06 |
| 16 | Dearborn, MI | $94,631 | $45.50 |
| 17 | Colorado Springs, CO | $94,494 | $45.43 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $93,800 | $45.10 |
| 19 | Dublin, OH | $92,688 | $44.56 |
| 20 | Washington, DC | $89,961 | $43.25 |
A manager, project director's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $161,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $161,000 | $13,417 | $77 |
| 75th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| Average | $104,614 | $8,718 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
The highest paying types of managers, project director are director/manager, director of project management, and senior analyst/project manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director/Manager | $128,735 | $10,728 | $61.89 | 287,314 |
| Project Manager/Team Lead | $106,977 | $8,915 | $51.43 | 172,739 |
| Program/Project Manager | $101,850 | $8,488 | $48.97 | 243,017 |
| Project Manager/Analyst | $100,168 | $8,347 | $48.16 | 179,991 |
| Consultant/Project Manager | $100,754 | $8,396 | $48.44 | 213,963 |
| Site/Project Manager | $85,701 | $7,142 | $41.20 | 120,282 |
Top companies hiring managers, project director now:
Manager, project director salaries at Cambridge Associates and Capgemini are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average manager, project director salary at companies like Ameresco and Bristol-Myers Squibb are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge Associates | $162,730 | $78.24 |
| 2 | Capgemini | $155,709 | $74.86 |
| 3 | Ameresco | $154,291 | $74.18 |
| 4 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $139,582 | $67.11 |
| 5 | iTradeNetwork | $137,044 | $65.89 |
| 6 | Moody's | $135,512 | $65.15 |
| 7 | AIG | $132,401 | $63.65 |
| 8 | Fluor Corporation | $131,260 | $63.11 |
| 9 | UBS | $130,575 | $62.78 |
| 10 | Guidehouse | $114,506 | $55.05 |
| 11 | KLN Manufacturing | $106,083 | $51.00 |
| 12 | Population Services International | $104,410 | $50.20 |
| 13 | HNTB | $96,702 | $46.49 |
| 14 | Cronus Technology | $93,440 | $44.92 |
| 15 | Accion | $91,467 | $43.97 |
| 16 | Swedish Hospital | $87,387 | $42.01 |
| 17 | Everest Holdings LLC | $86,938 | $41.80 |
| 18 | Snc-lavalin Project Services, Inc. | $86,086 | $41.39 |
| 19 | Kinsley Power Systems | $85,992 | $41.34 |
| 20 | CBRE Group | $85,863 | $41.28 |
The average manager, project director salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $113,864 | $54.74 |
| 2 | Construction | $111,976 | $53.83 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $106,108 | $51.01 |
| 4 | Technology | $98,415 | $47.31 |
| 5 | Health Care | $93,214 | $44.81 |
| 6 | Professional | $90,063 | $43.30 |
| 7 | Media | $77,466 | $37.24 |
| 8 | Hospitality | $67,719 | $32.56 |
The average manager, project director salary has risen by $12,879 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average manager, project director earned $91,735 annually, but today, they earn $104,614 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for managers, project director over the last decade.
Compare manager, project director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare manager, project director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $105,000 | $50.30 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $100,000 | $48.24 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $99,100 | $47.62 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $97,300 | $46.79 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $96,700 | $46.51 | +0.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals | Medical Affairs Project Manager Associate Director (Hybrid) | Boston, MA | 06/25/2025 | $155,700 |
| Element Consulting | Project Manager IV (College Project Director) | Ione, CA | 06/25/2025 | $190,000 |
| Impact Search and Placement, LLC | Project Manager Director | Landover, MD | 06/10/2025 | $125,000 |
| Community College of Aurora | Director of Academic Support and Project Manager | Aurora, CO | 06/04/2025 | $72,000 |
| Community College of Aurora | Director of Academic Support and Project Manager | Aurora, CO | 06/03/2025 | $72,000 |
| PRG Parking Management LLC | Scenic Project Manager/Technical Director | New Windsor, NY | 05/10/2025 | $80,000 |
| CMTS LLC | Project Director (Design Manager) | Tampa, FL | 05/10/2025 | $170,000 |
| Production Resource Group | Scenic Project Manager/Technical Director | New Windsor, NY | 05/06/2025 | $80,000 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals | Medical Affairs Project Manager Associate Director (Hybrid) | Boston, MA | 03/28/2025 | $155,700 |
| Impact Search and Placement, LLC | Project Manager Director | Landover, MD | 03/27/2025 | $125,000 |
Search for manager, project director jobs