Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Project administrator salary
Average project administrator salary
$52,862
Understanding Project Administrator Salaries
A Project Administrator plays a vital role in ensuring project success through effective coordination and communication. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $52,862 per year. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and level of experience.
Salary Variations by State
Project Administrators in states like California and New York often earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. For example, those in California may earn upwards of $60,000, while opportunities in less populated states may offer around $45,000.
Industries Offering Competitive Salaries
Industries such as construction, IT, and healthcare tend to offer the highest salaries for Project Administrators, reflecting the complexity and importance of project management within these fields. Additionally, gaining certifications like PMP can further enhance earning potential and career advancement.
Overall, understanding salary trends and opportunities in the Project Administrator field can help candidates make informed career decisions and maximize their potential.
Let Zippi find your next project administrator job
Let Zippi find your next project administrator job
Where can a Project Administrator earn more?
Project administrator salary estimates from across the web
Average project administrator salary by state
The average project administrator salary in Maryland, Connecticut, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average project administrator salary states are Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for project administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $60,338 | $29.01 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $62,386 | $29.99 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $60,211 | $28.95 |
| 4 | Vermont | $57,112 | $27.46 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $71,395 | $34.32 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $65,897 | $31.68 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $69,091 | $33.22 |
| 8 | Maine | $59,971 | $28.83 |
| 9 | Ohio | $55,553 | $26.71 |
| 10 | Maryland | $71,888 | $34.56 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $68,765 | $33.06 |
| 12 | New York | $68,863 | $33.11 |
| 13 | Delaware | $66,522 | $31.98 |
| 14 | Indiana | $55,779 | $26.82 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $54,754 | $26.32 |
| 16 | Michigan | $52,458 | $25.22 |
| 17 | Arizona | $54,038 | $25.98 |
| 18 | Iowa | $52,994 | $25.48 |
| 19 | Texas | $50,377 | $24.22 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $53,807 | $25.87 |
| 21 | Nevada | $50,358 | $24.21 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $55,804 | $26.83 |
| 23 | Virginia | $58,665 | $28.20 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $49,034 | $23.57 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $51,792 | $24.90 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $48,939 | $23.53 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $48,451 | $23.29 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $52,657 | $25.32 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $46,943 | $22.57 |
| 30 | Oregon | $51,413 | $24.72 |
| 31 | Illinois | $53,204 | $25.58 |
| 32 | California | $52,587 | $25.28 |
| 33 | Missouri | $47,926 | $23.04 |
| 34 | Alabama | $46,868 | $22.53 |
| 35 | Georgia | $51,087 | $24.56 |
| 36 | Washington | $50,739 | $24.39 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $45,947 | $22.09 |
| 38 | Alaska | $44,664 | $21.47 |
| 39 | Kansas | $44,584 | $21.43 |
| 40 | Florida | $49,385 | $23.74 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $43,758 | $21.04 |
| 42 | Utah | $45,985 | $22.11 |
| 43 | Idaho | $41,190 | $19.80 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $44,951 | $21.61 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $46,490 | $22.35 |
| 46 | Colorado | $43,387 | $20.86 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $40,750 | $19.59 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $41,304 | $19.86 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $41,336 | $19.87 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $40,795 | $19.61 |
| 51 | Montana | $39,208 | $18.85 |
Highest paying cities for project administrators
The highest-paying cities for project administrators are Baltimore, MD, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore, MD | $72,140 | $34.68 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $69,219 | $33.28 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $69,171 | $33.26 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $65,850 | $31.66 |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $60,869 | $29.26 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh, PA | $58,293 | $28.03 |
| 7 | Burlington, NC | $56,832 | $27.32 |
| 8 | Indianapolis, IN | $55,748 | $26.80 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $55,280 | $26.58 |
| 10 | San Francisco, CA | $55,250 | $26.56 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $54,031 | $25.98 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $53,631 | $25.78 |
| 13 | Eugene, OR | $52,121 | $25.06 |
| 14 | Columbia, SC | $52,075 | $25.04 |
| 15 | Grand Rapids, MI | $51,224 | $24.63 |
| 16 | Seattle, WA | $51,062 | $24.55 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $50,997 | $24.52 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | $50,969 | $24.50 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $49,646 | $23.87 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $49,004 | $23.56 |
Project administrator salary details
A project administrator's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a project administrator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| Average | $52,862 | $4,405 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying project administrator jobs
The highest paying types of project administrators are project director, senior administrator, and lead administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | $91,578 | $7,632 | $44.03 | 167,116 |
| Project Officer | $59,291 | $4,941 | $28.51 | 127,352 |
| Business Administrator | $72,503 | $6,042 | $34.86 | 103,025 |
| Project Director | $107,396 | $8,950 | $51.63 | 116,968 |
| Operations Administrator | $50,962 | $4,247 | $24.50 | 115,828 |
| Office Administrator | $37,423 | $3,119 | $17.99 | 118,096 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for project administrators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Richard Huff Ph.D.
Assistant professor, assistant chair, Virginia Commonwealth University
These groups likely present varying degrees of salary requirements and qualifications. In the federal service, an MPA qualifies as one at the GS-9 entry-level. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes salary tables at Link The beginning salary varies by location from $53K to $61K, with the higher amount near large metropolitan areas. Higher salaries are common in overseas areas. Progression is based on performance with opportunities to achieve salaries of $150K and over at the executive levels. Overall, beginning salaries for the MPA considering nonprofits and government agencies is estimated at $53K.
Top companies hiring project administrators now:
Which companies pay project administrators the most?
Project administrator salaries at Urban Institute and IBM are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project administrator salary at companies like Harvard University and RS&H; are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Institute | $105,714 | $50.82 |
| 2 | IBM | $105,519 | $50.73 |
| 3 | Harvard University | $88,346 | $42.47 |
| 4 | RS&H | $86,930 | $41.79 |
| 5 | Twilio | $86,264 | $41.47 |
| 6 | Clark Construction Group | $84,045 | $40.41 |
| 7 | The Juilliard School | $83,641 | $40.21 |
| 8 | Gallup | $82,799 | $39.81 |
| 9 | MWH Americas Inc | $82,411 | $39.62 |
| 10 | Microexcel | $82,284 | $39.56 |
| 11 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $81,646 | $39.25 |
| 12 | CDM Smith | $81,440 | $39.15 |
| 13 | Arcadis | $80,666 | $38.78 |
| 14 | New York University | $80,326 | $38.62 |
| 15 | Curtiss-Wright | $79,885 | $38.41 |
| 16 | Arup | $79,100 | $38.03 |
| 17 | Hill International | $78,278 | $37.63 |
| 18 | Gannett Fleming | $77,746 | $37.38 |
| 19 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $76,443 | $36.75 |
| 20 | AECOM | $76,219 | $36.64 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Project Administrator salary by industry
The average project administrator salary varies across industries:
- The average project administrator salary in the construction industry is $66,237, the highest of any industry.
- The average project administrator salary in the finance industry is $63,116.
- Project administrators in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $54,061, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for project administrators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $66,237 | $31.84 |
| 2 | Finance | $63,116 | $30.34 |
| 3 | Technology | $61,977 | $29.80 |
| 4 | Professional | $59,295 | $28.51 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $54,061 | $25.99 |
High paying project administrator jobs
Project administrator salary trends
The average project administrator salary has risen by $6,508 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project administrator earned $46,354 annually, but today, they earn $52,862 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for project administrators over the last decade.
Compare project administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average project administrator salary over time
Compare project administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Project administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,900 | $25.41 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $50,700 | $24.38 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $50,100 | $24.06 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $49,200 | $23.64 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $48,900 | $23.50 | +0.1% |
Recently added project administrator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Florida | Construction Project Administrator Trainee | Tampa, FL | 06/30/2025 | $44,071 |
| Explore Charleston | Project Administrator | Rochester, MN | 06/29/2025 | $60,001 |
| CDM Smith | Lead Construction Project Administrator | Edison, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $71,208 |
| Lennox International | Project Administrator | Auburn, AL | 06/27/2025 | $34,560 |
| Aerotek | Construction Project Administrator | Aurora, CO | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Geosyntec Consultants | Project Administrator II | Seattle, WA | 06/27/2025 | $65,636 |
| MIT | Mitx Project Administrator | Cambridge, MA | 06/27/2025 | $80,000 |
| Global | Project Administrator Development Lead | Beachwood, OH | 06/27/2025 | $53,000 |
| Watterson Environmental Group | Project Administrator | Alpharetta, GA | 06/27/2025 | $45,000 |
| Actalent | Project Administrator | Cedar Rapids, IA | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
Project administrator salary FAQs
Search for project administrator jobs