What Is a Project Manager? Tasks, Skills, and Career Growth

Key takeaways

• A project manager is a skilled professional who oversees the project lifecycle and can work across industries.

• If you enjoy strategic thinking, problem-solving, staying organized, and leading, you may enjoy being a project manager.

• From the role of project manager, you can advance to become a product manager or program manager.

Learn more about what a project manager does and what you need to qualify for this role. Afterwards, consider enrolling in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate to build fundamental knowledge in this area.

What is a project manager?

Project managers play a critical role in determining a project's success. They lead teams tasked with completing a project that often reflects an important business goal and feeds into a company's success. This entails defining and managing project goals, working with the constraints of budgets and schedules, maintaining clear communication with stakeholders and team members, and ensuring all work is completed on time.

Different types of projects require different approaches. Project managers often choose a project management methodology—or follow the one their company prefers. Understanding the needs of your project and which methodology will be best used is a crucial part of being a successful project manager.

Project managers can work across industries, and when they develop specialized knowledge about an area, such as construction or marketing, they may earn higher salaries. Typically, they have around seven years of experience, though it's possible to get started in project management with less [1].

How much can a project manager earn?

The median salary for a project management professional is $100,750, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [2]. However, things like the amount of experience you have, where you live, and even which industry you work for can impact that figure. Learn more about project manager salaries and the various factors that can affect your earning potential.

What does a project manager do?

As a project manager, you oversee projects throughout the project lifecycle, which includes the initiation, planning, execution, and closure phases. To ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, you may take on a variety of tasks and responsibilities, including:

• Defining the scope of the project

• Staying on schedule

• Planning a project’s cost and sticking to a budget

• Managing project resources (including teams and workers)

• Documenting the progress of the project

• Communicating with stakeholders

• Assessing risks

• Troubleshooting

• Leading quality assurance

Want to see a day in the life of a project manager? Watch this video from the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

What kind of skills does a project manager need?

There are a range of project management skills required to do well in this career. You'll need workplace skills, such as organization, priority setting, and communication, as well as technical skills, such as project management tools. To get started, begin strengthening the four skills below:

• Project management tools: Project managers use collaboration, communication, and scheduling tools to help their team stay on task.

• Organization: Managing a project requires the ability to prioritize, multitask, and stay on time and on budget. All of these moving parts require organization.

• Communication: Project managers often serve as the point of communication for team members, vendors, and stakeholders.

• Critical thinking: Analyzing and evaluating a situation critically helps prevent issues before they happen.

Project management career path

Project managers are in demand across industries, including construction, architecture, fashion, design, computer science, robotics, and government. It tends to be a relatively versatile career, meaning you can leverage your transferable skills to enhance your resume and pursue different opportunities.

Entry-level project manager titles:

The amount of experience you'll need in an entry-level project management role will depend on the company. Generally, these roles require minimum experience or a college degree [3]. If you don't have a college degree, consider certification or other training, such as a certificate, to build your project management abilities. If you'd like to get started in project management, consider looking for the following job titles.

• Project assistant

• Project coordinator

• Junior project manager

• Project support specialist

Do you need a PMP to be a project manager?

You don't need PMP certification to be a project manager, but it can be useful training. Some employers include it as a job requirement. Additionally, PMI reports that PMP-certification holders earn 33 percent more on average [4]. 

Mid-level project manager titles:

After you've accrued experience in project management or relevant roles, you can advance to become a general project manager or specialize in an area, such as IT or construction. You'll need to build your knowledge about the needs of these areas.

• Project manager

• IT project manager

• Construction project manager

• Technical project manager

• Scrum master

Senior-level project manager titles:

In a senior role, you likely have over seven years of experience as well as a college degree. (While it's not always necessary to have a degree when you begin this career, many companies may expect at least a bachelor's as you advance.) In senior roles, you'll be tasked with overseeing multiple related projects at once (often called programs) or working more strategically to set the projects a company undertakes.

• Senior project manager

• Program manager

• Product manager

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