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Senior project specialist salary
Average senior project specialist salary
$87,213
Understanding Senior Project Specialist Salaries
A Senior Project Specialist plays a crucial role in managing complex projects, ensuring that they are completed on time and within budget. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $87,213 per year. Salaries can differ significantly based on experience level, industry demand, and geographic location.
For instance, senior project specialists in industries such as technology and finance often earn higher salaries due to the specialized skills required. Additionally, states like California and New York typically offer more competitive compensation due to higher living costs.
To maximize earning potential, professionals should consider gaining experience in high-demand industries and pursuing certifications that enhance their project management skills. Opportunities for advancement also exist for those willing to take on leadership roles within organizations.
- Highest Paying States: California, New York, and Texas
- Top Industries: Technology, Healthcare, Finance
Staying informed about salary trends and continuing education can significantly impact your career as a Senior Project Specialist.
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Where can a Senior Project Specialist earn more?
Senior project specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average senior project specialist salary by state
The average senior project specialist salary in Idaho, California, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior project specialist salary states are Tennessee, Mississippi, and Colorado.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior project specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $103,427 | $49.72 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $94,994 | $45.67 |
| 3 | Virginia | $93,369 | $44.89 |
| 4 | Nevada | $88,473 | $42.54 |
| 5 | Arizona | $94,708 | $45.53 |
| 6 | Oregon | $89,170 | $42.87 |
| 7 | California | $99,155 | $47.67 |
| 8 | Texas | $91,504 | $43.99 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $89,457 | $43.01 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $93,831 | $45.11 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $96,663 | $46.47 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $90,094 | $43.31 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $93,453 | $44.93 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $84,078 | $40.42 |
| 15 | Maine | $85,185 | $40.95 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $83,444 | $40.12 |
| 17 | Delaware | $86,990 | $41.82 |
| 18 | Ohio | $79,959 | $38.44 |
| 19 | Iowa | $81,380 | $39.13 |
| 20 | Washington | $82,680 | $39.75 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $85,529 | $41.12 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $82,545 | $39.69 |
| 23 | Georgia | $85,598 | $41.15 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $82,275 | $39.56 |
| 25 | Michigan | $79,386 | $38.17 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $83,013 | $39.91 |
| 27 | Alaska | $86,598 | $41.63 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $79,623 | $38.28 |
| 29 | Kansas | $79,758 | $38.35 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $82,105 | $39.47 |
| 31 | Maryland | $81,677 | $39.27 |
| 32 | Florida | $83,878 | $40.33 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $81,961 | $39.40 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $78,044 | $37.52 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $75,246 | $36.18 |
| 36 | Missouri | $78,461 | $37.72 |
| 37 | Illinois | $81,552 | $39.21 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $75,582 | $36.34 |
| 39 | New York | $79,521 | $38.23 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $74,611 | $35.87 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $78,603 | $37.79 |
| 42 | Vermont | $78,190 | $37.59 |
| 43 | Alabama | $77,475 | $37.25 |
| 44 | Utah | $76,542 | $36.80 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $75,504 | $36.30 |
| 46 | Montana | $74,999 | $36.06 |
| 47 | Indiana | $70,577 | $33.93 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $73,736 | $35.45 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $71,031 | $34.15 |
| 50 | Colorado | $71,128 | $34.20 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $71,025 | $34.15 |
Highest paying cities for senior project specialists
The highest-paying cities for senior project specialists are San Francisco, CA, Phoenix, AZ, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $105,766 | $50.85 |
| 2 | Phoenix, AZ | $94,608 | $45.48 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $93,858 | $45.12 |
| 4 | Virginia Beach, VA | $93,820 | $45.11 |
| 5 | San Antonio, TX | $93,363 | $44.89 |
| 6 | Hartford, CT | $93,035 | $44.73 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $89,799 | $43.17 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $85,270 | $41.00 |
| 9 | Orlando, FL | $84,349 | $40.55 |
| 10 | Dover, NH | $83,650 | $40.22 |
| 11 | Morrisville, NC | $83,102 | $39.95 |
| 12 | Springfield, MA | $82,491 | $39.66 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $81,842 | $39.35 |
| 14 | Schaumburg, IL | $81,811 | $39.33 |
| 15 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $81,703 | $39.28 |
| 16 | Bentonville, AR | $81,579 | $39.22 |
| 17 | Dublin, OH | $79,788 | $38.36 |
| 18 | New York, NY | $79,641 | $38.29 |
| 19 | Grand Rapids, MI | $79,019 | $37.99 |
| 20 | Tulsa, OK | $77,835 | $37.42 |
Senior project specialist salary details
A senior project specialist's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior project specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| Average | $87,213 | $7,268 | $42 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
Highest paying senior project specialist jobs
The highest paying types of senior project specialists are senior analyst/project manager, senior project manager, and technical project manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager/Team Lead | $106,977 | $8,915 | $51.43 | 172,739 |
| Project Manager & Leader | $102,092 | $8,508 | $49.08 | 190,600 |
| Project Management Lead | $85,117 | $7,093 | $40.92 | 158,441 |
| Project Manager | $91,578 | $7,632 | $44.03 | 167,116 |
| Project Team Lead | $105,306 | $8,775 | $50.63 | 125,539 |
| Operations Project Manager | $90,352 | $7,529 | $43.44 | 210,582 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior project specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Matthew Gilbert
Lecturer of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University
Generally speaking, engineering, computer science, and math-related majors have higher starting salaries and perhaps greater potential for earnings. However, marketing salaries remain well above those for students in the arts of humanities.
Certainly, with the present economic predicament in which we find ourselves, these estimates might be irrelevant as companies downsize in the wake of economic shutdowns and changing economic outlooks. Nevertheless, marketing remains a relevant degree with a reasonable return on your investment.
Top companies hiring senior project specialists now:
Which companies pay senior project specialists the most?
Senior project specialist salaries at Amazon and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior project specialist salary at companies like Sephora and PGIM are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $132,416 | $63.66 |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $122,675 | $58.98 |
| 3 | Sephora | $120,383 | $57.88 |
| 4 | PGIM | $119,357 | $57.38 |
| 5 | Mercy Corps | $119,156 | $57.29 |
| 6 | BNY Mellon | $115,797 | $55.67 |
| 7 | Norwegian Cruise Line | $114,338 | $54.97 |
| 8 | Eclaro | $112,884 | $54.27 |
| 9 | Equinix | $112,008 | $53.85 |
| 10 | Louis Vuitton | $110,288 | $53.02 |
| 11 | Walmart | $109,756 | $52.77 |
| 12 | Forum Energy Technologies | $109,614 | $52.70 |
| 13 | The Computer Merchant | $109,559 | $52.67 |
| 14 | Henry Schein | $109,371 | $52.58 |
| 15 | Cigna | $108,495 | $52.16 |
| 16 | AT&T | $108,429 | $52.13 |
| 17 | Insurance Incorporated | $107,024 | $51.45 |
| 18 | Southern California Edison | $106,867 | $51.38 |
| 19 | Nestlé | $105,840 | $50.88 |
| 20 | Chick-fil-A | $104,730 | $50.35 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Project Specialist salary by industry
The average senior project specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average senior project specialist salary in the insurance industry is $108,209, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior project specialist salary in the finance industry is $100,978.
- Senior project specialists in the technology industry earn an average salary of $83,033, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior project specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance | $108,209 | $52.02 |
| 2 | Health Care | $100,978 | $48.55 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $100,672 | $48.40 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $92,679 | $44.56 |
| 5 | Internet | $89,991 | $43.26 |
| 6 | Professional | $88,862 | $42.72 |
| 7 | Technology | $83,033 | $39.92 |
High paying senior project specialist jobs
Senior project specialist salary trends
The average senior project specialist salary has risen by $14,276 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior project specialist earned $72,937 annually, but today, they earn $87,213 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior project specialists over the last decade.
Compare senior project specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior project specialist salary over time
Compare senior project specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior project specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $87,200 | $41.93 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $84,300 | $40.55 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $82,400 | $39.63 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $80,800 | $38.86 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $79,000 | $37.98 | +1.5% |
Recently added senior project specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eversource Energy | Senior Specialist, Project Engagement (Hybrid) | Westwood, MA | 06/30/2025 | $115,000 |
| WSP USA | Senior Professional, Project Accounting | Albuquerque, NM | 06/26/2025 | $74,200 |
| WSP | Senior Professional, Project Accounting | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $74,200 |
| WSP USA | Senior Professional, Project Accounting | Portland, OR | 06/26/2025 | $74,200 |
| Swca Inc. | Senior Project Specialist-Desktop Analyst | Pasadena, CA | 06/26/2025 | $50,485 |
| STS/Utiliquest | SR Project Specialist | Rochester, NY | 06/26/2025 | $58,436 |
| Locating Inc. | SR Project Specialist | Rochester, NY | 06/25/2025 | $58,436 |
| Dycom Industries Inc. | SR Project Specialist | Farmington, NY | 06/24/2025 | $58,436 |
| National Grid | Senior Specialist, Project Management Job Details | National Grid | Worcester, MA | 06/24/2025 | $106,000 |
| Hill International | SR Specialist, Project Management Support | Pomona, CA | 06/21/2025 | $80,000 |
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