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What is a senior designer/project manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Bill Darcy

The senior designer/project manager acts as the head of a project team, responsible for overseeing all processes, making major decisions, and guiding other team members. Their role is vital in ensuring that the project runs smoothly and deadlines are met on time.

The typical work duties of a senior designer/project manager involve conceptualizing designs in tandem with design teams, leading the planning and research phases, setting goals and deadlines, and communicating project updates to key stakeholders. They also supervise team members and ensure that everyone is reaching their optimal productivity levels.

A senior designer/project manager usually has a degree in a field relevant to their industry. More importantly, they have extensive industry experience and a proven track record of handling projects successfully. Furthermore, a senior designer/project manager exhibits above-average capabilities in leadership, communication, organization, and time management.

Depending on their industry, employer, and experience level, a senior designer/project manager can make around $46,000 to $119,000 per annum.

What general advice would you give to a senior designer/project manager?

Bill DarcyBill Darcy LinkedIn profile

CEO, National Kitchen & Bath Association

This year has thrown curveballs at us like never before, and the job market is just one of the areas that has been upended," said Bill Darcy, NKBA CEO. "One thing the pandemic has proven is that our homes are multitasking more than ever - like home office, home school, gym, spa - and our kitchens are getting quite a workout, as the family's central hub and gathering space. People are anxious to remodel, so they may customize their spaces to accommodate these new needs. This is one sector where business is robust, and many of our NKBA designer and remodeler members can't keep up with the volume of work. So, entering the workforce in a design or remodeling capacity holds a great deal of promise. Work and jobs are plentiful - and our research shows that design, construction and remodeling activity is likely to continue well into next year and beyond. Of course, no one can predict the course the pandemic might take or other factors might affect the economy, but I would suggest that this is an excellent time to explore internships and apprenticeships in the skilled trades, because these professional pathways, as well as kitchen, bath and interior design, are likely to yield solid opportunities for the foreseeable future.
ScoreSenior Designer/Project ManagerUS Average
Salary
6.4

Avg. Salary $81,747

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.8

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 2.86%

Black or African American 3.75%

Hispanic or Latino 17.71%

Unknown 4.45%

White 70.67%

Gender

female 32.08%

male 67.92%

Age - 46
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 - 46
Stress level
7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
2.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Senior designer/project manager career paths

Key steps to become a senior designer/project manager

  1. Explore senior designer/project manager education requirements

    Most common senior designer/project manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.5 %

    Associate

    16.4 %

    Master's

    9.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior designer/project manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management18.78%
    Design Projects11.13%
    Business Development8.16%
    Construction Management5.68%
    CAD5.05%
  3. Complete relevant senior designer/project manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior designer/project managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior designer/project manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior designer/project manager resumes.
  4. Research senior designer/project manager duties and responsibilities

    • Supervise employees to achieve maximum quality control and customer satisfaction.Employee HR management, inventory control, payroll and expense management.
    • Generate and execute commissioning documents to test and validate the facilities and equipment in accordance with design drawings and specifications.
    • Design java and unix coding standards, set direction for new custom application development.
    • Enable the entry of orders via the Internet by implementing a Java client emulation of a legacy order system screen interface.
  5. Get senior designer/project manager experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a senior designer/project manager. The most common roles before becoming a senior designer/project manager include project manager, designer team lead and senior designer.
  6. Prepare your senior designer/project manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior designer/project manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior designer/project manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior designer/project manager resume templates

    Build a professional senior designer/project manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior designer/project manager resume.
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
    Senior Designer/Project Manager Resume
  7. Apply for senior designer/project manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior designer/project manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior designer/project manager job

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Average senior designer/project manager salary

The average senior designer/project manager salary in the United States is $81,747 per year or $39 per hour. Senior designer/project manager salaries range between $56,000 and $119,000 per year.

Average senior designer/project manager salary
$81,747 Yearly
$39.30 hourly

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How do senior designer/project managers rate their job?

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Senior designer/project manager reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Each project has its own set of requirements to suite the owner’s style and needs.

Cons

Marketing our services to attract new clientele.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

It is something I enjoy! Something I’m good at! Something I could do as hobby and get paid for

Cons

That I don’t get to do it more often


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

Stress of making sure everything is coming in under budget and efficiently.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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