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Senior project director salary
Average senior project director salary
$99,266
Understanding Senior Project Director Salaries
The role of a Senior Project Director is pivotal in steering projects towards successful completion. The average salary of $99,266 per year reflects the expertise required in this position. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, industry, and experience level. For instance, states such as California and New York often offer higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
Factors Influencing Salary
In addition to geographical differences, the industry plays a crucial role in salary variations. Senior Project Directors in sectors like technology and healthcare typically earn more compared to those in non-profit organizations. Furthermore, years of experience can lead to increased earnings, with seasoned professionals commanding significantly higher wages.
Career Advancement Opportunities
For individuals aspiring to enter this field, understanding these dynamics can inform their career choices. Whether pursuing senior positions or considering lateral moves, knowledge of salary trends is vital for effective career planning. Utilize this information to negotiate salaries confidently and align career goals with market realities.
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Where can a Senior Project Director earn more?
Senior project director salary estimates from across the web
Average senior project director salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior project directors are Alaska, Washington, and California. The lowest average senior project director salary states are Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior project directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $140,420 | $67.51 |
| 2 | Nevada | $112,711 | $54.19 |
| 3 | California | $135,357 | $65.08 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $120,349 | $57.86 |
| 5 | Georgia | $109,763 | $52.77 |
| 6 | Alaska | $157,803 | $75.87 |
| 7 | Iowa | $99,679 | $47.92 |
| 8 | Virginia | $115,619 | $55.59 |
| 9 | Oregon | $111,919 | $53.81 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $107,831 | $51.84 |
| 11 | Maryland | $117,235 | $56.36 |
| 12 | Texas | $117,312 | $56.40 |
| 13 | Michigan | $100,573 | $48.35 |
| 14 | Idaho | $103,088 | $49.56 |
| 15 | Montana | $114,946 | $55.26 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $96,668 | $46.48 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $103,251 | $49.64 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $97,896 | $47.07 |
| 19 | Delaware | $109,034 | $52.42 |
| 20 | Florida | $111,870 | $53.78 |
| 21 | Alabama | $92,212 | $44.33 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $100,676 | $48.40 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $96,785 | $46.53 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $99,688 | $47.93 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $90,705 | $43.61 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $94,131 | $45.26 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $88,290 | $42.45 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $90,745 | $43.63 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $100,118 | $48.13 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $95,385 | $45.86 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $92,059 | $44.26 |
| 32 | Arizona | $96,229 | $46.26 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $86,134 | $41.41 |
| 34 | Missouri | $88,989 | $42.78 |
| 35 | New York | $91,801 | $44.14 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $86,672 | $41.67 |
| 37 | Indiana | $89,115 | $42.84 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $88,884 | $42.73 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $95,001 | $45.67 |
| 40 | Kansas | $86,461 | $41.57 |
| 41 | Ohio | $83,908 | $40.34 |
| 42 | Maine | $85,835 | $41.27 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $80,525 | $38.71 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $86,785 | $41.72 |
| 45 | Vermont | $86,517 | $41.59 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $77,483 | $37.25 |
| 47 | Utah | $86,593 | $41.63 |
| 48 | Colorado | $88,738 | $42.66 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $83,814 | $40.30 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $81,696 | $39.28 |
| 51 | Illinois | $85,175 | $40.95 |
Highest paying cities for senior project directors
The highest-paying cities for senior project directors are Seattle, WA, Santa Rosa, CA, and San Antonio, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $144,438 | $69.44 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa, CA | $143,634 | $69.05 |
| 3 | San Antonio, TX | $119,694 | $57.55 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $117,555 | $56.52 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $116,922 | $56.21 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $112,944 | $54.30 |
| 7 | Orlando, FL | $112,166 | $53.93 |
| 8 | Columbus, GA | $109,986 | $52.88 |
| 9 | Trenton, NJ | $107,543 | $51.70 |
| 10 | Allentown, PA | $101,158 | $48.63 |
| 11 | Ann Arbor, MI | $100,356 | $48.25 |
| 12 | Hartford, CT | $100,244 | $48.19 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $99,768 | $47.97 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $97,536 | $46.89 |
| 15 | New York, NY | $91,828 | $44.15 |
| 16 | Saint Paul, MN | $90,873 | $43.69 |
| 17 | South Bend, IN | $90,196 | $43.36 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $89,874 | $43.21 |
| 19 | Little Rock, AR | $88,753 | $42.67 |
| 20 | Boulder, CO | $88,610 | $42.60 |
Senior project director salary details
A senior project director's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $146,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior project director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $146,000 | $12,167 | $70 |
| 75th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| Average | $99,266 | $8,272 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
Highest paying senior project director jobs
The highest paying types of senior project directors are director, special projects, director of project management, and associate director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consultant/Project Manager | $100,754 | $8,396 | $48.44 | 213,963 |
| Director, Special Projects | $129,916 | $10,826 | $62.46 | 45,103 |
| Project Manager | $91,578 | $7,632 | $44.03 | 167,116 |
| Program/Project Manager | $101,850 | $8,488 | $48.97 | 243,017 |
| Environmental Services Director | $58,337 | $4,861 | $28.05 | 87,417 |
| Director | $113,489 | $9,457 | $54.56 | 230,711 |
Top companies hiring senior project directors now:
Which companies pay senior project directors the most?
Senior project director salaries at Amazon and Buckeye Partners are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior project director salary at companies like NTT Data International L.L.C. And Moderna are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $132,655 | $63.78 |
| 2 | Buckeye Partners | $123,789 | $59.51 |
| 3 | NTT Data International L.L.C. | $120,862 | $58.11 |
| 4 | Moderna | $117,898 | $56.68 |
| 5 | NJ Transit | $116,123 | $55.83 |
| 6 | Jhpiego | $115,401 | $55.48 |
| 7 | Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited Inc | $111,557 | $53.63 |
| 8 | Hines Corporation | $111,257 | $53.49 |
| 9 | Exelixis | $110,214 | $52.99 |
| 10 | Applied Materials | $110,070 | $52.92 |
| 11 | Albemarle | $109,613 | $52.70 |
| 12 | Academy For Educational Development | $109,322 | $52.56 |
| 13 | Avalara | $106,949 | $51.42 |
| 14 | Sanofi US | $106,444 | $51.17 |
| 15 | Dun & Bradstreet | $106,164 | $51.04 |
| 16 | Supernus Pharmaceuticals | $102,046 | $49.06 |
| 17 | ASR Group | $101,034 | $48.57 |
| 18 | Kinsley Power Systems | $100,642 | $48.39 |
| 19 | Parexel International | $100,436 | $48.29 |
| 20 | Brightstar | $100,251 | $48.20 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Project Director salary by industry
The average senior project director salary varies across industries:
- The average senior project director salary in the technology industry is $103,467, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior project director salary in the finance industry is $99,554.
- Senior project directors in the energy industry earn an average salary of $88,336, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior project directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $103,467 | $49.74 |
| 2 | Retail | $99,554 | $47.86 |
| 3 | Media | $98,299 | $47.26 |
| 4 | Professional | $90,247 | $43.39 |
| 5 | Energy | $88,336 | $42.47 |
High paying senior project director jobs
Senior project director salary trends
The average senior project director salary has risen by $12,220 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior project director earned $87,046 annually, but today, they earn $99,266 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for senior project directors over the last decade.
Compare senior project director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior project director salary over time
Compare senior project director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior project director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $99,300 | $47.72 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $95,200 | $45.78 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $94,000 | $45.19 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $92,400 | $44.40 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $91,800 | $44.13 | +0.1% |
Recently added senior project director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Saint Louis, MO | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Birmingham, AL | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Alexandria, VA | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Chicago, IL | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Austin, TX | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Milwaukee, WI | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Minneapolis, MN | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | SR. Director, Project and Development Services | Nashville, TN | 06/22/2025 | $170,000 |
| Thornton Tomasetti | Senior Architect Project Director | Newark, NJ | 06/20/2025 | $100,000 |
| Clayco | Senior Project Director | Los Angeles, CA | 06/18/2025 | $155,000 |
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