Project Management Specialist Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Project Management Specialists — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$102,320
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$49.19
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$167,970
entry level starts ~$61,580
Pay Grade
A
excellent pay · 1,067,000 employed

How much does a Project Management Specialist make?

A Project Management Specialist earns a median annual salary of $102,320 in the United States, which works out to roughly $49.19 per hour for full-time work. Most Project Management Specialists earn between $61,580 at the entry level and $167,970 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $78,440 and $133,100 a year.

That is $40,930 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Project Management Specialist salary range by percentile

Half of all Project Management Specialists earn between $78,440 and $133,100 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$61,580$29.61
25th percentile (early career)$78,440$37.71
50th percentile (median)$102,320$49.19
75th percentile (experienced)$133,100$63.99
90th percentile (top earners)$167,970$80.75

Highest-paying states for Project Management Specialist

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Washington leads the country for Project Management Specialist pay at $124,160 a year, followed by New Jersey ($122,980) and Delaware ($122,190). At the other end, Arkansas posts the lowest median at $77,170 — a gap of $46,990 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Washington$124,160$59.69+21%
2New Jersey$122,980$59.13+20%
3Delaware$122,190$58.75+19%
4New York$121,040$58.19+18%
5California$120,910$58.13+18%

Workforce and education

About 1,067,000 people work as Project Management Specialists in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $110,740 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Project Management Specialist make in the United States?
The median Project Management Specialist salary in the United States is $102,320 per year, or about $49.19 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $61,580, while the top 10% of earners make $167,970 or more.
How does Project Management Specialist pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of A (excellent pay), the Project Management Specialist median of $102,320 is above the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Project Management Specialists the most?
Washington is the highest-paying state for Project Management Specialists, with a median salary of $124,160 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
How long does it take to become a Project Management Specialist?
Becoming a Project Management Specialist typically requires about 4 years of college. A bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement.
How many Project Management Specialists work in the United States?
About 1,067,000 people were employed as Project Management Specialists in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.