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Job outlook for special projects coordinators in the United States
Are special projects coordinator jobs in demand?
Special projects coordinator job and salary trends over time
Special projects coordinator jobs over time
Special projects coordinator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,825 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 10,346 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 10,880 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,626 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,440 | 0.00% |
Average special projects coordinator salary over time
Special projects coordinator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $44,576 | $21.43 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | $42,759 | $20.56 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $42,206 | $20.29 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $41,472 | $19.94 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $41,220 | $19.82 | +0.1% |
Special projects coordinator jobs by state
Most common states for special projects coordinators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 170 | 23% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 206 | 21% |
| 3 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 576 | 20% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 574 | 19% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 405 | 19% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 143 | 16% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 114 | 16% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 595 | 15% |
| 9 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 260 | 15% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 564 | 12% |
| 11 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 553 | 12% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 225 | 12% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 146 | 11% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 64 | 10% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 57 | 10% |
| 16 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 546 | 9% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 990 | 8% |
| 18 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 903 | 8% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 84 | 8% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 62 | 8% |
Most common cities for special projects coordinators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Little Rock | 1 | 2% | $33,299 |
| 2 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $54,129 |
| 3 | Camden | 1 | 1% | $51,689 |
| 4 | Washington | 3 | 0% | $46,939 |
| 5 | Austin | 2 | 0% | $45,702 |
| 6 | New York | 2 | 0% | $56,702 |
| 7 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $40,693 |
| 8 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $43,088 |
| 9 | Newark | 1 | 0% | $52,263 |
| 10 | Portland | 1 | 0% | $41,928 |
| 11 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $46,249 |
Special Projects Coordinator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of special projects coordinator experts
Heidelberg University
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Catawba College
Paige Atterholt
Adjunct ProfessorHeidelberg University
What's a good job out of college for Special Projects Coordinators?
Paige Atterholt: A good job out of college is a job that you feel passionate about because I believe your happiness comes first. Being in the world of education, a good job in my eyes is a job that you enjoy going to every day, want to make an impact, and enjoy the time you have with your students.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Special Projects Coordinators?
Paige Atterholt: I think now, being in year 2 of the pandemic, I think if anything there will be more jobs for graduates. Just looking through the jobs online, there are many opportunities for graduates to get a job. I think the older community retired when things got bad, which opened the door for the younger generation.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Special Projects Coordinators?
Ryan Kathman: I think it's safe to say that there will be an enduring impact of this pandemic on all of us, no matter what field someone is in. But, yes, I think Theatre students coming out of undergraduate programs, for one thing, are going to have to get really good at preparing and participating in virtual auditions, whether they are pre-recorded, conducted live over Zoom, or some combination. I think we'll see job opportunities in web-based productions continue to rise, even after things recover a bit, as the industry was slowly headed that direction even before the pandemic. But I do have a healthy degree of hope about the future of live performing arts in that, historically, after major global or national crises like these - even health crises - a "golden age" of flourishing arts tends to follow. So, potentially, now is a great time to be a Theatre major and be graduating because students will hopefully be entering an industry with booming opportunities as the populace gets excited to start attending live performances again.
What soft skills should all Special Projects Coordinators possess?
Ryan Kathman: I've never been crazy about the term "soft skills", but I do understand where it comes from. I just can't help but feel like the name somehow diminishes the value of these attributes when study after study has proven that they are precisely the qualities that every major CEO is looking for first and foremost in employees. Luckily, I happen to believe one of the best kept secrets about Theatre training is that it naturally and inherently focuses students to develop exactly these kinds of traits. I suppose the top skills I would highlight are communication (impossible to work on a production team without it and it's literally what every actor is trying to do in performances), critical thinking (again, script analysis and problem-solving while in rehearsal and performance), adaptability (time, budget and resources force all of us to have to be resourceful and innovative, and actors often need this skill in the moment when something goes horribly wrong in a performance), and creativity (kind of built right into the art form). But you can certainly add teamwork, time management, decision-making, organization, conflict management and leadership to the list, and all of those are covered on a daily basis just in the process of putting on a show.
Erin Dougherty
Associate Professor of Costume Design Costume DirectorCatawba College
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Special Projects Coordinator job market given the pandemic?
Erin Dougherty: This is a hard question, as I don't think any of us have that crystal ball. Everyone is ready to work and most of us want to get "back to normal" as quick as possible. However, there have been some real calls during this pandemic to change the philosophy of industry, for the good. Places like tcg.org, who run Artsearch are offering free accounts for job seekers, and making it mandatory for employers to state compensation to help people know what they're getting into before expending time and energy in the search process. This can only benefit everyone. There is a call for accountability, for treating artists with value, and no longer standardizing "suffering" for your art or sacrificing personal lives for the golden carrot, in terms of work-life balance. That may sound idealistic, but theatre artists are notorious for not taking care of themselves and almost priding themselves for long work hours with little pay. We will be slow to change, certainly, especially as the industry tries to stand on its feet with uncertain funding. But, I believe you'll see more transparent job ads and I hope we'll still see a lot of the collaborative spirit of artists helping artists that we have seen during the pandemic. On the practical side, for a while yet, we'll see more virtual productions, either zoom or fully mounted without an audience, or actors in mask work. I think the demand for tech who have digital and editing skill has increased and will continue to be there, and actors who have presence for the camera, those who can play to the stage but still read genuine if the camera and editing crew choose to do close ups. We will also see both academic and professional companies looking for jack-of-all-trades, people who can fit into more than one roll in the company. For tech, designers/technicians who can cross disciplines or areas (costume/prop technicians, scenic/lighting designers, etc.), for performers perhaps people who can also play instruments in addition to being the traditional "triple threat" performers. And of course, a demand from companies and artists alike to expand the pool of diversity, open the doors to women and especially minorities, in light of BLM to tell stories with Black voices and black faces in meaningful ways.